What Happened In Vegas
by christibabe
Summary: Connie, Stephanie, and Lula, went to Vegas after Samuel Singh. When the girls met up the next day, Connie was not herself. As a matter of fact, Lula didn't even recognize her. This is the story of what happened in Vegas, and sometimes, what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas. Babe HEA in story, but this is more about Connie's story. Lester has a HEA mentioned as well.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. __Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

What Happened In Vegas

**Stephanie's POV:**

I took a sip of coffee as I waited for the search I was running to net me the information I was after. The Ranger's game was playing on the TV and I was dividing my time between the two. I'm not normally a baseball fan, but this team had the benefit of sharing a name with my favorite hockey team, so I thought I'd give them a try. They weren't bad, but they weren't that great either. Borrowing the search program that Ranger had his guys using at RangeMan, I was running it here to protect the identity of the friend I was helping out.

Who was I helping, and why didn't they want anyone to know?

Well…you see it all started when my boss, aka my cousin Vinnie, wrote a Visa bond on Samuel Singh, and then Singh went missing. Seeing as it was a high dollar bond, Vinnie put his top man on the case. Of course, Vinnie asked Ranger if he could find Singh. Ranger agreed, but he told him he would need help and they would have to work out the fee. So what does my idiot cousin do? Vinnie told Ranger he could have whatever he wanted and gave Ranger…me.

I actually didn't mind working with him. Ranger and I had worked together before. He was my mentor, sometimes partner, as well as one time lover. It was everything else that went wrong that I could blame Vinnie for. In the course of our investigation, we learned that Singh might have gone to Vegas so Ranger was going to send me there with Tank to assist me. Well, when Lula found out that Tank was going she went into near Rhino mode. She insisted that she was my partner and that she ought to be the one going to Vegas with me. To avoid problems, I figured I would need to take her as well and then when I asked Connie to make travel arrangements for us, she sort of invited herself along. So that's how Lula, Connie, and I ended up heading for Vegas. Unfortunately, Tank didn't make it.

What happened to Tank you ask? Well, when we were going through security, the wand picked up traces of explosives on Tank's clothing. Not wanting to get caught, by association, in the excitement he was having, we had to leave him behind as we continued on our way.

After an altercation with a Tom Jones impersonator, the three of us split up. Connie went to play craps, Lula went to play slots. I on the other hand headed back to the room. I was up at 7 the next morning and seeing no sign of Lula or Connie, I dressed and headed downstairs. I found them both in the café.

_Lula had about 2 dozen scrambled eggs and 5 pounds of sausage links on her plate_. _Connie had coffee. _

_Lula looked wired and not much different from everyday Lula. Connie looked like she'd died and come back from the dead. Connie's black hair was completely frazzled, sticking out at odd places. Her mascara had smudged, making the bags under her eyes more pronounced. Most shocking of all … she was without lipstick. I'd never seen Connie without lipstick._

_I took a seat and I snitched a sausage link from Lula._

"_What time is it?" Connie asked._

"_Seven-thirty." I told her._

"_Day or night?"_

"_Day." (pg. 168-169 TTN)_

Lula mentioned something about Las Vegas never closing and something about an Eiffel Tower and Brooklyn Bridge out there. I asked what she had been doing all night and she said she started at the slots and then went to blackjack. She had gotten up but then ended up losing it all and it was a good thing Vinnie was buying her breakfast.

_Connie had her head down on the table. "I lost all my money. I drank too much. And I lost my shoes."_

_We all looked under the table. Sure enough, Connie didn't have any shoes._

"_I left them someplace," Connie said. "I don't know where."_

"_That's not even the best part," Lula said to me. "Ask Connie about the photograph."_

_Connie pulled a cardboard framed photo out of her big leather shoulder bag. It was a picture of Connie and a short guy in a powder blue tuxedo. The short guy had sideburns and an Elvis hairdo. Connie was holding a bouquet of flowers. "I think I might have gotten married to an Elvis impersonator," Connie said, dragging herself to her feet. "I'm going to bed. Wake me up when you get Singh and I'll do the paperwork for the locals."_

_Lula watched Connie stagger away. "I wouldn't hardly recognize her without lipstick," Lula said. "She sat down and I didn't know who she was at first."(pg. 170 TTN)_

When it was time to leave, Connie opted to stay in Vegas and straighten out the photograph situation. Lula decided to drive home in a rented car with Boo. I went with a RangeMan substitute named Miguel to the airport. In no time I was back in Jersey and Morelli picked me up at the Newark airport. Over the course of the next few days, Ranger and I cleared everything up with the Singh case and our lives moved on. I had some difficulty with the Slayers and temporarily moved into Ranger's apartment, even if it was without Ranger's knowledge since he was in the wind at the time. When Ranger came back he allowed me to continue staying in his apartment, and at one point even gave his men an order that if I tried to leave they should stun me.

I had been told they caught Junkman, and knowing if I didn't make my sister's shower I would be in real trouble with my mother—and let's face it, my mother scared me a hell of a lot more than Ranger at this point—I headed to the garage and grabbed a set of keys. I was almost to a vehicle when Hal showed up to stop me. I convinced him to let me see his stun gun and then I used it on him making good with my escape. When I reached the VFW hall, Val said she was going to move the Buick. I decided that might not be a good idea since the car might be associated with me, and might bring trouble to my sister. I went out to move the car and sure enough, I was locked in the trunk and driven to the circle on Comstock where the Slayers were known to torture their victims. Lucky for me Sally Sweet was on a break with the band and had seen me being kidnapped. Sally drove his bus into the circle scattering Slayers everywhere. He came off that bus and opened fire with an Uzi as he came to my aide. (TBO)

Not long after that I quite working for Vinnie in a fit of pique and went through a host of jobs, none of which worked out for me. Ranger offered me a job working at Rangeman. Whether he felt sorry for me or really thought I could be of help…only he knew. It wasn't the first time I had worked for Ranger. I'd done a few jobs for him a while back and in the end decided I might be better off sticking to Bounty Hunting. I agreed to give it another go. Did I mention that while all this was going on I'd managed to pick up another stalker. I'd seen Spiro Stiva back in town and he had been causing me a bit of trouble. It turned out it wasn't really Spiro that was stalking me but Con Stiva. Con kidnapped me by putting me in a coffin to transport me to a house. He stuffed me in a cupboard and planned to come back and kill me as soon as he made sure that people saw him one final time in the mask he'd done of Spiro. Lucky for me Ranger had gotten the information of there being a house in Spiro's name and he and the Merry Men—as I call them—had shown up to save the day. Although Ranger arranged for one of his guys to take me to Morelli's place, I made my way back to Stiva's house and had the pleasure of hitting Con with the Buick. Not enough to kill him, but he was certainly feeling some pain. (EOT)

Of course, that brings us to the more recent incident of Ranger's daughter Julie being kidnapped by a man wanting to take over Ranger's life. Scrog kidnaped Julie and brought her to Trenton. He then fixated on me and managed to kidnap me, but I was able to get away. That is until I walked into my apartment and there was the crazy man and he had Julie with him. I was so scared as Scrog pointed his gun at Julie and I knew if I said anything to warn Ranger, he would shoot Julie without a second thought. It was then that I realized I loved Joe Morelli. I loved him, but not nearly as much as I loved Ranger. Joe was important to me because of the past we shared. But Ranger, he had become everything. When Scrog shot him over and over, I felt the pain rip through my heart as I watched Ranger fall and lie there bleeding on the floor of my apartment. When Ranger had been rushed to the hospital, Joe tried to comfort me as we followed the ambulance. On the way there I was finally honest with Joe…and with myself. Funny thing, Joe told me he had known for some time where my heart lay, but he was willing to take any part of me I would give him. I told him that wasn't good enough for either of us. When Ranger came home from the hospital, I stopped by his apartment with cake and three weeks later I'd moved in.

That's where I was at the moment, in Ranger's apartment on the 7th floor. The friend I was helping? Connie Rosolli. She'd been unable to find out anything all those months ago when she stayed behind in Vegas and in recent weeks it had become necessary for her to know exactly what went on.

Why you ask? Because three weeks ago, Connie had gone to her doctor and learned that she was now 3 and ½ months pregnant. She was desperate and had begged me to help. I felt badly that the last few months I'd been so busy with the chaos going on in my own life, that I hadn't even noticed the changes in my friend. It wasn't until I walked into the Bonds office with a cup of coffee and a bag of doughnuts from the Tasty Pastry that I became aware there might be a problem. And that was only because Connie got one whiff of my coffee and made a beeline for the bathroom. When I heard her offering the contents of her stomach to the porcelain Gods, I wet a cloth with cold water and asked if there was anything I could do. Connie wiped her face with the cool cloth and in a hoarse whisper she suggested I get rid of the doughnuts and coffee. When I gave her a puzzled look, she swore me to secrecy and told me about the baby. She asked me if I could work my magic and find out what happened on that trip to Vegas. I hugged her and promised I would do everything I could to find out.

I looked at the screen and sighed. Oh Boy! How was I going to tell Connie this? She was going to freak. Her family was going to freak. I fished my phone out of my purse and gave her a call. She picked up on the third ring, "Hello?"

"Hey Connie. I have some answers for you. Where would you like to meet?"

There was a sigh and then, "It's gotta be somewhere private."

Although she couldn't see me I nodded, "All right. What do you say we meet in the back parking lot at the Bonds office?"

She paused for several minutes before saying, "It's better than nothing."

"I can be there in fifteen minutes." I said.

"All right. I'm heading out now," was her reply.

We ended the call and I printed out the information, placed it in a folder in my purse, then stood, heading down to the garage. I grabbed a set of keys and hit the alarm. When one of the vehicles lit up, I made my way over and climbed in. I made sure I was buckled in and then called Ranger to let him know I was heading out. He told me to keep my eyes open and I smiled as I answered back, "Try not to go crazy."

Ranger laughed for several seconds before saying, "You never disappoint, Babe."

I disconnected the call and pulled out of the garage to head to the Bonds office. I turned into the back lot fifteen minutes later. Pulling up behind the Bonds office, I noticed that the street light was out again, which made it inky black back here. The lights of the SUV illuminated Connie's car and there was enough room for me to pull up beside her car and park. The lot might fit one more car—if it was a small one. Connie was already getting out of her car and she quickly climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV. She turned to look at me and for the first time I saw fear on my friend's face. I reached over and said, "Don't worry Connie. Everything will work out somehow."

She shook her head, "I don't see how it can, Steph. Already several family members have been making comments and it's only a matter of time before everyone will figure out I'm pregnant. How am I going to explain to them I know nothing about the father except he might be the man in a picture and I might be married to him?"

I swallowed hard, not wanting to give her more bad news. "It's worse than that Connie." I said as I handed her the file.

She opened the file and by the way she paled I knew she realized just how bad things had gotten.


	2. They're Going To Kill Me

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. __Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 2: They're Going To Kill Me

**Connie's POV:**

I opened the folder Stephanie handed me and my only thoughts were, '_They're going to kill me!'_ How the hell was I going to tell my family that I was married to their worst enemy? And not just married to him. I was pregnant with his baby. I was no longer Connie Rosolli. I was now Connie Bianchi and my husband was Rene Bianchi, eldest son to Giovanni Bianchi, my family's biggest rival mob family.

I turned to Stephanie and tried to speak but all that came out of my mouth was a choked squawk. I did an impression of a fish and finally put my head in my hands and burst into tears. I felt Stephanie's anxiety as she patted my back and promised she would find a way to help me. When I finally got control of my emotions, I lifted my ravaged face and heard Steph's squeal of alarm. I looked at her with a puzzled expression and wondered why she was looking at me so strangely. I could finally stand it no more and asked, "What?"

She gave me a weak smile and said, "You're not exactly looking like yourself."

I grabbed the rearview mirror and turned it so I could check out my appearance. I strained to be able to see into the mirror and screamed. Bells and whistles started going off in the SUV and the headlights started flashing off and on. Steph was swearing as she looked around desperately for a way to shut off the noise. When the white flashing lights of the vehicle were joined by flashing red and blue lights, I looked at Stephanie in horror. "What am I going to do?"

She bit her lip and looked frantically in the back seat. She grabbed something and said, "Here, quick get under this and scoot down on the floor so they can't see you."

I scrunched down in the foot well, in front of the seat, and draped the blanket over me, silently praying that no one would want to look too closely inside the SUV. The sounds were nearly deafening by now, and before I could cover my head with the throw Steph had handed me, I watched her as she laid her head against the wheel. From my vantage point I couldn't see or hear anything that was going on. But I really couldn't face anybody right now, so I had to trust that Steph wouldn't let anyone find me. When the sounds suddenly stopped I sagged in relief. I heard Carl Costanza talking with Steph and I strained to hear what they were saying.

"What set the alarm off, Steph?"

"I don't know. I might have screamed when I heard a noise."

"What are you doing parked back here so late at night?" Carl asked, "And isn't that Connie's car?"

"Oh really? I thought she'd be home relaxing at this time of night."

"Uh huh. Care to try again?"

Even blind I pictured Stephanie rolling her eyes at Carl before saying, "Gee…I don't know Carl. Would you believe I'm here because Connie asked me to find out who she married in Vegas?"

I froze when she said that, and was planning ways to murder her, when I heard Carl laughing as he said, "All right, Steph. Keep your secrets. I'll follow you back to RangeMan. There are rumors flying around about the Bianchi family making some moves. I just hope we aren't headed for a mob war."

At the mention of the Bianchi's I bit down on my lip, so I wouldn't accidently make a sound. I was starting to panic again, but then I heard Stephanie say, "I'll be fine, Carl. After all, I'm in a RangeMan vehicle."

"No can do, Steph. I'm not leaving you here on your own at night. If you don't want me to follow you, then you need to call Ranger and have him meet you here."

Steph sighed, "All right, Carl. I'll let you follow me to RangeMan."

I heard the SUV start up and slowly move forward. I moved the blanket so I could finally see. Steph glanced down at me and said, "I'll be as careful as I can. Can you squeeze back up here?"

I tried but I seemed to be stuck. After my fourth attempt I started swearing. "I'm stuck. How the hell am I going to get out of here now?"

Steph pursed her lips a bit and said, "Ranger will help us with that."

I took a deep breath. I glared at her and said, "You are so lucky Costanza didn't believe you about my hiring you to find out who I married."

She chuckled, "Amazing isn't it. I told the truth and it was so far out he didn't buy it."

I had a sudden thought, "What if he puts two and two together when I start showing?"

"I don't think he will. But if he does, you can trust Carl not to say anything."

I felt the tears roll down my cheeks. "I hope so. I'm scared, Steph."

She looked down at me and I could see the compassion on her face. I knew this was why so many of the skips she'd had, became fast friends. She lifted her gaze once more to the road and a few minutes later we were turning into the RangeMan garage. I heard a horn honk and Steph gave a finger wave as she said, "They're gone. I'm going to park and call Ranger to come down to help us get you out of there. Okay?"

I nodded. "What are you going to tell him?"

"The truth. You can trust him to have your back, Connie. Besides, we might need him and the guys if we have to deal with the Bianchis."

I hesitated. I'd hoped I could keep this secret forever. I placed my hand on my abdomen and I felt a tiny flutter. So soft, as if a butterfly had landed on my hand and flapped its wings.

Stephanie asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

I looked up at her, with an overwhelming feeling of awe, and said, "I think I just felt the baby move."

Steph smiled and said, "That's what is going to make this all worth it."

I nodded.

She pulled out her phone and pressed a button before holding it to her ear. I heard the "Yo" from where I was and watched her face light up with joy. "Hey, Ranger. Can you come down to the garage please? I have a slight problem I need your help with. Maybe you could bring Bobby too." She listened for several seconds and then if possible, her smile got even bigger before she disconnected the call. After placing her phone in her bag she removed the keys and stepped out of the SUV.

At that same moment I heard a voice saying, "Hey, Beautiful."

"Hey, Les. How was your date?"

"I think I'm in love. Kari and I went out dancing after dinner. She's awesome—smart, sexy, funny. I could go on and on."

"I'm glad, Les. She seems like a really nice girl."

I heard a squeal and then Ranger's voice sternly saying, "Santos! Put Steph down. I thought you had a date."

"I did. I took Kari home and came back here to turn in for the night."

I was frustrated because I couldn't see anything, only listen. I was betting Lester had shocked everyone because he was such a player and for him not to utilize his charm on a woman was unheard of. My opinion was vindicated when Bobby let out a chuckle. "Man, since when have you ever failed to press your advantage?"

"Stick it, Brown. Kari's a classy lady. She deserves more than just a single night. Hell, I don't think a million nights would be enough."

There was a whistle, my guess was Bobby's. It was his voice that said, "Don't tell me you finally met your match?"

There was silence for a minute and then Stephanie was saying, "I'm happy for you, Les. You guys make a great couple."

"Thanks, Beautiful. Now I just gotta make sure I don't screw it up."

"You'll do fine, Les. Just trust your instincts."

I tried to move, but still firmly stuck, I let out a sigh and decided to get Stephanie's attention back to helping me out of this cramped position. "Hey, Steph!"

Both Bobby and Lester said, "_Shit_!"

Stephanie laughed and said, "Glad you guys are aware of your surroundings."

Suddenly the front passenger door opened and I looked up into Ranger's face. He had one eyebrow raised and I could see amusement in his eyes. I glared and told him, "One smart comment and you've had it."

Just then Bobby and Lester peeked over his shoulder. Lester was the one that asked, "What are you doing all scrunched up on the floor, Connie?"

"I'm stuck. What the hell do you think I'm doing down here?"

Lester's eyes widened and he put his hands up in the air as he took a step back.

Steph moved into sight. "I was hoping you guys could help me get her out of there."

**Stephanie's POV:**

I couldn't help the squeal of alarm when Connie lifted her face. If I thought she looked bad in Vegas without lipstick, it was nothing compared with what I was looking at. Her mascara had run with her tears and there were black tracks down her cheeks as well as black smeared around each eye giving her a raccoon look. Her skin was blotchy from crying and her eyes were bloodshot. As for her hair, it looked like a family of bats had taken up residence and turned her hair into a rats nest.

When Connie asked me why I squealed, I was reluctant to tell her. I mean after all, I knew what it was like to be on the wrong end of looking bad. I tried to sugar coat it by telling her she wasn't looking herself but that didn't appease her, so she moved the rearview mirror for a look.

I was totally unprepared for her high pitched scream and my eyes widened in horror as bells and whistles started going off in the SUV and the lights started flashing off and on. I started swearing as I desperately looked around for a way to shut off the noise. I'd tried everything I could think of and was trying to find the damn wires so I could cut them all if it would only stop the infernal racket. Somebody was going to get an earful when I got back to RangeMan. Ten frustrating minutes later the flashing white of the SUV lights was joined by the familiar blue and red flashing lights from a police car. I only hoped it was somebody I knew, even though I knew I would have to endure their teasing for the rest of my life.

Connie looked at me in horror. "What am I going to do?"

I bit my lip and looked anxiously around. I grabbed an ugly brown blanket from the back seat and handed it to her as I told her, "Here, quick get under this and scoot down on the floor so they can't see you."

In her haste to get on the floor, Connie folded herself so she was lying in the space between the seat and the dash with her knees scrunched close to her. I worried she might be squishing up too much, it couldn't be comfortable especially with a baby on board. There wasn't a centimeter of space left as she placed the blanket over herself in the nick of time.

I was relieved to see Carl Costanza walking up to the SUV. I powered the window down and Carl asked me to pop the hood. I quickly did as he asked, suddenly the noise ceased. With the beautiful silence, I finally relaxed in gratitude.

Carl came around to my door and there was a grin on his face as he asked, "What set the alarm off, Steph?" As grateful as I was to Carl for turning off the alarm, I wasn't ready to answer a bunch of questions. But I did want to keep his attention away from Connie. Carl looked at me funny when I said I thought that a loud noise nearby had set off the alarm. Our brief conversation probably didn't give him any of the answers that he had been looking for. He was suppressing a grin at my explanation.

Lucky for me the truth was too farfetched for Carl to believe and he laughed as he told me to keep my secrets, and then he told me about the rumors flying around about the Bianchi family. Shit! That was something Connie really didn't need to hear right now.

I reassured Carl I would be fine, after all I pointed out, I was in a RangeMan vehicle. Unfortunately, Carl was unwilling to accept that and insisted on following me, or I would need to call Ranger to come meet me here. I gave in, figuring the sooner we got rid of him the sooner I could get Connie out of the cramped space on the floor.

I started the SUV and assured Connie I would drive as carefully as I could and asked if she could get back up on the seat. After some attempts to move, we both knew that she was well and truly stuck. When she finally gave up trying to get out of the position she was in, she was really getting worried so I told her I would call Ranger to help us.

I had to chuckle when she glared at me and told me I was lucky Carl didn't believe me about her hiring me to find out who she married. Poor Connie, stuck like she was, she was starting to worry about everything. I tried to reassure her that Carl could be trusted, and so could all of the guys at RangeMan.

A tear rolled down her face as she told me she was scared. I glanced at her with compassion and then returned my gaze to the road. A few minutes later I'd reached the garage on Haywood, and pulled into the entrance before stopping. Carl honked and I sent him a finger wave. I told Connie I was going to call Ranger and he'd help us get her out of there. Then I assured her everything would be all right.

When she asked what I was going to tell Ranger, I told her, the truth. I knew she could count on Ranger to have her back and I told her so. I also knew that if we were going to deal with the Bianchi family, we were going to need Ranger and the guys.

I saw a funny expression cross Connie's face and asked her what was wrong. There was a look of awe on her face when she told me she'd felt the baby move. I was a bit worried, because if I remembered high school biology right, then she shouldn't be feeling the baby for at least two more weeks. I pushed that thought aside and smiled at her.

I called Ranger and asked for him and Bobby to meet me in the garage. My eyes widened as Ranger told me he'd be right down, and then he mentioned he'd already gotten a call from Costanza. Apparently Carl and Big Dog had received a call from the station saying there was a report of an alarm going off and they had to leave Pino's before their food was ready so they could check it out. When they saw that it was me, they thought it best to give Ranger a heads up.

I was throwing the keys and my phone in my purse when I heard Les calling out to me. He came over and I talked to him while I waited on Ranger and Bobby. Les was excited about the woman he'd been dating for the past few months. I'd noticed a change in him and wondered if this could be the one. I told him I was glad for him and that she sounded like a really nice girl. When he lifted me and twirled me around I squealed. Ranger chose that moment to arrive and told Les to put me down.

There was some good natured ribbing from Bobby and we spent a few more minutes on the subject. My attention was brought back to why I'd asked Ranger and Bobby to come down in the first place when Connie called out to me.

I laughed when Lester and Bobby realized that I wasn't alone, and I just had to tease them about not being aware of their surroundings.

Ranger went to the front passenger door and opened it. I heard Connie grumbling at him. Lester and Bobby were peeking over Ranger's shoulder when Lester asked, "What are you doing all scrunched up on the floor, Connie?" I guess he wasn't prepared for her to growl at him too. Lester's eyes widened and he put his hands up in the air as he took a step back.

I joined them and said, "I was hoping you guys could help me get her out of there."

The four of us stood looking down at Connie scrunched on the floor. Her head was pressed against the glove compartment and her knees were pressed against the front of the seat. I looked up at the guys in expectation and noticed the shocked looks in Bobby and Lester's eyes. I looked back to see what had them speechless and realized Connie looked even worse now than when she'd seen herself and screamed. She looked hot and sweaty and it looked like there could be a bit of saliva rolling down her chin.

Her voice was barely audible as she said, "You better get me out of here quick. I think I'm going to be sick."

The guys got to work and with a bit of swearing and straining, they were able to get her moved sideways and then Bobby wrapped his arms around her from behind and lifted her out while Lester had gone around to the driver's side and maneuvered her legs around. Once her feet were on the ground she motioned frantically for something to throw up in. I moved out of range as Bobby handed her a small garbage can.

Once she had finished throwing up, she wilted against the side of the vehicle. I was starting to worry a little more because Connie was whiter than a ghost. Suddenly she sagged and I yelled for someone to catch her. Bobby managed to grab her before she hit the ground.

Ranger quietly asked, "What's going on, Babe?"

I looked up at him and whispered, "Connie's pregnant."

Ranger's eyes narrowed, "Take her to the infirmary and give her a once over to make sure she's okay. Give us a call when she's awake."

Bobby nodded and he and Lester moved toward the elevator. While we waited for the elevator to come back down, I quickly caught Ranger up to speed, including the part about Connie marrying Rene Bianchi in Vegas and having no memory of it except for a photo and the baby she was carrying. I also told him what Carl had mentioned about the Bianchi family.

By the time I'd told him everything that I'd found out, the elevator had come back down to the garage and we'd made our way up to the penthouse. As we entered the apartment, I suddenly remembered the drama with the SUV. I stopped in my tracks and put my hands on my hips as I turned to face him.

"Just whose idea was it to rig the SUV with supersonic hearing damn it!"

Ranger smiled his full 200 watt smile and there was a twinkle in his eyes. I glared as I waited for his answer. "The guys thought it would give you an edge, if someone came up to you and tried to kidnap you. When the sounds started they would be momentarily startled and enable you to, hopefully, get away from them."

I rolled my eyes, "What it did was scare the shit out of me and I nearly went deaf."

Ranger wrapped me in his arms and leaned in to whisper against my ear, "Sorry, Babe. We thought it would be a good idea."

I frowned, "I've never seen this kind of thing in any vehicle. How did you get hold of it?"

He kissed the corner of my mouth and I felt his tongue touch my lips. I fought the moan that cried out for release. I had the sudden impression Ranger was trying to distract me to get me off the added bells and whistles installed on the SUV. I moved my mouth so his was more fully over mine and when the kiss ended I stepped back and glared at him. "Talk!" was all I said.

Ranger chuckled and lifted his hands in a surrender motion. "All I can tell you is that it's a prototype, Babe."

I sighed. Figures.


	3. The Other Side Of The Picture

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 3: The Other Side Of The Picture

**Rene's POV:**

I stood looking out the huge picture window in the living room of my childhood home. I'd always loved this view growing up. I could stand at this window and pretend I was anywhere but where I actually was. Don't get me wrong, I loved my family. I just didn't love the business my family was in. I was the eldest son in a powerful mob family, so it was expected of me to one day take over the reins from my father. It didn't help that I was the only son—as well as the only child. For thirty-five years, my family accepted my decisions on what kind of life I would live without interfering too much, that all changed when I returned from Vegas three and a half months ago.

My father had requested an audience with me and explained how he was planning a merger with another mob family. The other family was of equal size and strength to our own organization, and at the present time posed no threat to us. For whatever reasons, Tommaso Scillato was willing to support my father's run at the Rosolli family.

I could never understand the hatred my father held for the head of the Rosolli family. When I'd asked him one time, all he said was one day I would understand. Twenty years on and I still was no closer to that understanding.

The one fly in the ointment for the merger my father was planning, was that Tommaso had a daughter he wanted married, and I was the unlucky sap that was selected to marry her.

Serena was lovely to look at, thirty-eight years old, five-feet-two inches tall, blond hair, blue eyes, and a model thin body… but she didn't set my blood on fire. As a matter of fact, the few dates we'd been on were mediocre at best. She was pleasant to look at but not much in the conversation department. I wasn't thrilled with the way she treated the wait staff at the restaurants where we dined either. However, my father was now pushing for me to pop the question.

How could I do that, when I still couldn't explain why the sight of a photo—that I'd found in my luggage when I'd returned from Vegas—set every fiber inside me on fire with a desire I'd never felt before. Who was this mystery woman and what did the photo mean? Why did my blood heat at just a glimpse of her? She was as different from Serena as night and day. Although in the photo she appeared three inches taller than my own five-feet-seven inches, I sensed she was actually a couple inches shorter than me. She had teased, shoulder length black hair and a flawless, olive complexion. The woman standing in the photo beside me had a Betty Boop build and her warm, sherry-brown eyes drew me in every time I looked at the picture. I put her at three or four years younger than myself. There was an excitement whenever I looked at the photo that I couldn't explain. I remembered the two days I spent in Vegas with my friends, but the day and night before I left to come home were a total blank.

I'd gone to Vegas because a good friend of mine was planning to get married and he wanted his bachelor party to take place in Sin City. The rest of us had gone along with his wishes and we'd had a great time. Once the guys had left I headed for the casino and ran into an old enemy of my father's. We'd had words and I left him in no doubt I was firmly behind my father. I'd played some black jack while I had a couple of drinks and then I headed to the craps table. I was feeling a little happy when I got to the table and that was where my memory ended.

I was finally going to get some answers though. I was leaving in the morning to drive to Trenton, New Jersey. This trip would take care of two birds with one stone. I would do some looking around for my family in regards to the Rosolli family, and I would meet with an old friend who worked for a security company in Trenton. I was getting an audience with Ranger Manoso, courtesy of my good friend Raul.

I grew up with Raul here in upper New York, and when we graduated high school we were both planning on entering the Navy. Who knew the Navy had a minimum height requirement of four-feet-nine. When I graduated from high school I was barely four-feet-eight when I stood on tip toe. It wasn't until the next year that I started a growth spurt and finally managed to top out at five-feet-seven by the age of twenty-two.

At that point, the Navy no longer fit in my life plan. I had my Master's Degree in Business Administration and had earned black belts in Karate, Jujitsu, and Tai-Kwan-Do. Although all had similarities, there were variations in each of them. I got started on the martial arts when I was eleven. Being the shortest kid in my class and also being part of a mob family, there were all sorts of bullies out there who figured if they couldn't reach my father, they'd take out their anger and aggression on me. I suffered plenty of beatings because I refused to back down, even before I'd learned to defend myself. However, once I reached the age of fifteen, the bullies learned a fast and hard lesson that I was no longer someone they could handle.

On one particular night, three guys from the football team cornered me in a dark alley thinking they were going to beat the snot out of me because one of their dads got beat up by a goon of my dad's. I wiped the ground with them and left them moaning and groaning on the alley floor, not getting a scratch in return. When the police found them, they fingered me as the one that attacked them. Being my father's son, I knew enough to destroy the clothes when I got home and made sure to shower thoroughly. When the cops rousted me and took me into the station, there was no trace evidence on me or the outfit I was wearing…which just happened to be a duplicate to the one I'd been wearing.

As I was sitting on a bench waiting for the officers to confer, Raul and his older brother happened to walk by. Raul asked why I was there so I told him what I was suspected of. His brother went in and talked with the officers. Five minutes later I was released with an apology. Although I wasn't in a forgiving mood, I knew it was in my best interest at that time to be agreeable. From that point on, I didn't have to worry about bullies anymore.

On the day I graduated from college, my father came to me and handed me a check for one hundred thousand dollars. He said I could do whatever I wanted with the money, but if in five years I hadn't been able to show a profit, he wanted me to give it up and come into the business with him. I took the money and bought land, lumber, and all the supplies I needed and built my own bar and restaurant combo. I talked to a few friends in the construction business and they came on board to help me build my place from the ground up. I had a hand in everything from the design, to the building, right down to the paint and decorations. On opening night we had a packed crowd and the place continued to have a packed house every night since. At the end of five years, I was able to hand my father a check for one hundred thousand dollars plus interest. To date, I had seven restaurant bars throughout the northeast, two of which were in Canada.

Raul and I had managed to keep in close contact, and when he opted out after his tour of duty was up, I offered him a position in my company. He was grateful, but chose to go with Manoso's company. When I was talking to Raul about what happened in Vegas, he suggested his boss might be able to help me out. I had nothing to lose, so I agreed to meet with the man. Maybe soon I would have those answers I wanted.

_Okay guys, I'd love to hear what you think of the story so far. I love those reviews. :)_


	4. Ranger's Dilemma

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**__

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 4: Ranger's Dilemma

**Ranger's POV:**

I was running late for my meeting with Raul's buddy from upstate New York. When Raul came to me two weeks ago and asked me to meet with an old friend of his, I was reluctant to get involved. All I knew about the man was that he was coming into town for a few days and had asked Raul if he knew anyone who was good at delving into hidden information. Raul thought he should run it by me instead of just going ahead and asking Stephanie if she'd look into the case. I agreed to meet with the friend who even now would be waiting at Shorty's with Raul.

I pulled into the parking lot at Shorty's and had to grin as a truck right in front of the door backed out, opening up the only parking space available. If Steph were here she would shake her head and say that the parking Gods were smiling down on me. I pulled in and pocketed the keys before going inside. On entering the building, I paused long enough to look around, quickly scanning the entire restaurant. Spotting Raul, I headed to the back of the room. Raul would have been hard to miss. He was a six foot three inch Latino with shoulder length black hair and dark eyes. He had a thin scar starting from the corner of his right eye that disappeared into the hairline just above his right ear. It was the only thing that marred an otherwise handsome face.

Raul had gotten the wound when a mafia family had sent a gang after his older brother who happened to be a police officer. It was the family's way of teaching the police a lesson for getting involved in family business. It didn't matter to them that Raul was an innocent. According to him, he'd been sitting on the fence about joining the Navy. What happened to his brother and to a lesser extent, what happened to him in that incident is what pushed him over the fence and made his decision for him. According to Raul, he had his friend, Rene, to thank for his own life because he's the one that found him where the family had left him to die. It was for those reasons I agreed to talk with his friend.

When I stopped beside the table, Raul stood and moved aside. He'd been sitting in my customary seat, smoothly relinquishing the spot he knew I wanted as he introduced his friend. "Ranger, this is my good friend Rene Bianchi. Rene, this is my boss, Ranger Manoso."

I kept my blank face firmly in place as I looked over the man in front of me. He was slightly different from the man in the photo beside Connie. For one thing, he no longer looked like an Elvis impersonator. I needed to get some answers before I was willing to expose the women to him. I let my head move in the smallest of nods. "Raul said you need some help in finding some missing information."

Rene Bianchi was leaning back in his chair, and although it looked like he was at ease, I could sense the tension in him as he spoke. "I need to find a woman in a photo."

I studied him for several seconds before asking, "Do you have this photo with you?"

He leaned slightly forward and slid an eight by ten sheet of paper across the table in my direction. I lifted the photo and studied it for a few seconds before placing it back on the table and sending it back across to him. "What was the occasion?"

Rene's fist clenched as his eyes narrowed on me. "If I knew that, I wouldn't need your assistance."

I could see he was trying to hang onto his temper. I asked, "Is there a reason you're dressed the way you are?"

He shook his head. "I don't own an outfit like that. Hell, normally I wouldn't be caught dead in something like that. I went to Vegas with some buddies. One of them was getting married and he wanted a bachelor party in Sin City. I had some other business so I planned to stay over a couple extra days. The night before I was flying back, I know I headed down to the casino and ran into an enemy of my father's. We exchanged words and I'd had a drink to relax. The next thing I know I'm waking up in the bed in my hotel room with a killer headache. I put everything in my suitcase and headed for the airport. When I got home and unpacked, I found a pair of women's shoes and the photo. I have no recollection of anything else."

My eyes narrowed on him. "You want me to find the woman in the photo?"

He hesitated, then gave a slight nod. "Yes. I want you to find out who the woman is and what happened during those missing hours."

"What do you plan to do with the information?"

"I'm not sure yet. I guess that depends on what you find."

I looked over at Raul and then turned back to Rene. "Where are you going to be staying?"

Raul piped up, "He's going to stay with me at Rangeman."

_Shit!_

How the hell was I going to keep him and Stephanie apart until I decided how much of a threat he posed to Connie, and by association, Steph herself? Making sure not to let anything of what I was feeling show, I just nodded. "All right. Do you have a number where I can reach you? In case you and Raul aren't together when I need to get in touch with you?"

He handed me a business card. "That has my cell number on it."

I stood and hesitated only a second before holding my hand out. "It was nice meeting you. I'll be in touch as soon as I have anything to share with you."

He clasped my hand and gave a short, abrupt nod of the head.

I turned and walked out of the place. As soon as I was outside I was on my phone making a call. When it connected, I had to smile at her, "Yo."

"That's my line, Babe."

I could hear the answering smile in her voice as she replied, "What can I do for you, Batman?"

"I need you to meet me on seven with your laptop. I have a job for you."

"How soon?"

I flicked a glance at my watch and responded, "I'll be there in five." Without waiting for a response I hung up.

I swear I could feel her glare reaching through the phone to me. I pulled up in front of the Tasty Pastry and made a quick trip inside. Half a dozen Boston Creams later—anymore than that and I was afraid she might catch on to the less than full disclosure, and I was on my way back to RangeMan with my apology on the passenger seat. Hopefully the doughnuts would put her in a forgiving mood. They couldn't hurt.

**Rene's POV:**

Everything in me was telling me Manoso was holding something back. Although his blank look and demeanor might fool ninety-nine point nine percent of people, I had an uncanny ability to read people. I didn't want to question Raul and put him in the middle. Instead, I would bide my time and see what Manoso came up with for me. I also intended to keep my eyes open. I wasn't my father's son for nothing.

Thoughts of my father always made me hesitate. My father and I butted heads from the get go. When I was four I found a stray puppy in the woods and drug it home with me. When my father saw me he was furious because I'd wandered off and gotten everyone upset. He took the puppy from me and told my uncle to get rid of it. I fought with everything in my four year old arsenal to no avail. My uncle went off with the puppy and I was banished to my room. A few days later when I was exploring, I found the collar and rope that I had made from fallen leaves so I could lead the puppy to my house. I looked around for other signs of the animal, but there was nothing there. I took my find back home with me and showed it to my father. He refused to talk to me about the dog and said I needed to remember never to wander off like that again. He said there were bad people out there who might have hurt me to get back at him and I needed to stay with the people who were charged with protecting me. He had tried to get me to tell him how I had gotten out of the house without anyone seeing me. I didn't want to get Lucita in trouble by telling him that she had fallen asleep while she was supposed to be watching me in the play room, so I just refused to tell him anything. I guess that was an omen of things to come.

Although I had no brothers or sisters, my uncles and their sons were always around the house, sometimes in meetings with my father. He tried to get me to go to the meetings repeatedly, but I would just sit there without saying anything. I told my father I wanted no part of his business. I planned to be my own boss. He thought it was cute… at least while I was young. As I got older, my father tried to reason with me, and when that didn't work, he tried threats. Then when those failed, he blamed my inflexibility on my mother. Maybe he was partially right. I'd always felt as if we didn't really have his affections. As if there was someone else who was first in his heart even though he tried to deny it. I would be the first to admit that I related to my mother more than my father any day of the week.

In any case, by the time I was twelve, my father had stopped trying to groom me to take over the family organization and had started to work with my older cousins. They were thrilled with the opportunity. It was a relief to me as well because it meant I was left alone to lead my own life. Or so I thought.

Even though he was no longer trying to force me into the family business, my father insisted I know everything that was going on, whether I wanted to or not. He had me sit in and listen to the family discussions. It wasn't until I went away to college that I was able to pull away from my required involvement. After all was said and done, I wasn't even surprised when he asked me into his office to suggest I court Serena. I was sure that according to my father's way of thinking, if I hooked up with this girl I still had a use for him and the business.

I was willing to take her on a few dates, but I knew it would never be more than that. She was a spoiled princess and I had no intentions of getting involved with one of those. Although it would be a deal breaker if I refused to marry her, I wasn't willing to put my head in the noose so my father could go forward with his silly vendetta against the Rosolli family. I couldn't help but think my father would be making a deal with the devil if this merger went through. A part of me wondered if maybe I could protect him from himself if I didn't follow through with his plan. Of course, I knew there was no way I would marry Serena, so hopefully that would be the end of it.

I knew that might cause a few issues, but I knew my family was strong enough to take on the Scillato family. As a matter of fact, my cousin Dom disliked Serena wholeheartedly. Apparently she treated the woman Dom was in love with like a third class citizen because she was a waitress. My family didn't put up with snobs. Unfortunately my father was blinded by the promise of paying an old enemy back.

I turned to meet the gaze of my friend. I could see the questions running through his mind. Raul had been my first and best friend. My eyes went to the scar on the right side of his face. I knew who put that scar there and my eyes glittered as I remembered what happened to them. I took care of my friends. They made the mistake of attacking what was mine to protect and they paid with their lives. It was the one time I had used my connections to deliver consequences to those who acted against my friend. It was also the only reason why I had initially given in to taking Serena on a date.

When Raul had been left for dead, I was furious. He was the only friend I was tight with. I went to my cousins and asked them to go with me to meet with the Giovincini family. When we got done, there was nothing left of them. The man I ran into in Vegas became our enemy on that day. Because we took out his allies, another family was able to come in and take over his corner of the gun market. The Scillato family had tried to help him, but wound up taking casualties and had to pull out. Tibet, the man I'd seen in Vegas, had since then been able to build up a small army of staunch allies. He never forgave the Scillatos for bailing on him though. They were big in drug and people trafficking. Two more reasons I didn't think our family should get involved with them. I was buying Dom time so he could talk sense into my father.

I met Benny, the guy we were throwing the stag party for, and the rest of the guys from the Vegas trip at college. We weren't as close as I'd been with Raul, but we got along. When we went to Vegas, we partied hard for two days and two nights. I was the sober one that made sure everyone got to the airport and made their flight back home. I stayed and took care of my business that afternoon and planned to get a good night's sleep before catching my plane back home the next day.

When I ran into Tibet, things went south in a hurry. Now I was left wondering what the hell happened that night and why, when I unpacked, there was a pair of women's shoes and the photograph with the woman who has haunted me for three and a half months. Damn, even now I was half hard just thinking about her.

How could one drink have wiped my memory and given me only small glitches to work with? Was Manoso going to be able to find out what'd happened? More importantly, how the hell had someone talked me into dressing up like a damn Elvis impersonator? Damn! Too many questions and not enough answers.


	5. Two Worlds Collide

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 5: Two Worlds Collide

**Stephanie's POV:**

I was dog tired after hauling in three skips that taxed my stamina to the max. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a week as I climbed out of the Cayenne and headed for the elevator that would take me up to the penthouse. When the elevator doors opened on five, I groaned. I really didn't need anything else today. Tank stood there leaning against the opening with a grin on his face. I would have glared but it was too much effort.

Tank's shoulders shook silently. His grin widened before he said, "Ranger would like to see you in his office, Bomber."

I looked at the distance I would have to walk to get to Ranger's office and shook my head. "I can't do it. I'm beat and I just don't have the energy to get from here to there."

Tank straightened as he narrowed his eyes on me. He gave a simple nod with his head and the next thing I knew I was airborne as Tank carried me like I was a child toward Ranger's office. When we reached the door he set me on my feet and knocked on the door.

"Enter." was the only indication Ranger heard the knock.

Tank opened the door and motioned me inside. When I failed to move he nudged me forward with one of his beefy hands. I was propelled forward enough to allow him to shut the door behind me and I found myself alone with Ranger.

When I failed to move or say anything, Ranger looked up from his computer and raised an eyebrow. His eyes studied me for several seconds and then he was on his feet and leading me over to the sofa. When I was standing in front of the sofa, Ranger kissed my forehead before saying, "Have a seat, Babe."

I didn't have the energy. I leaned my head against Ranger's chest and just stood there. I felt myself being lowered to the sofa and the next thing I knew my feet were being lifted and I moaned as I felt Ranger's hands massage first one foot and then the other. That was the last conscious thought I had for some time.

**Ranger's POV:**

I watched Steph as I kneaded the kinks out of the muscles in her feet. She had seemed extremely tired lately and it was starting to worry me. She'd been burning the candle at both ends and it looked like it was catching up with her.

Two weeks ago I had charged her with the task of investigating what happened in Vegas. She had sent me a text earlier today that she had some answers ready for me and now I just had to let her know when I was free so she could read me in on the information. I was looking forward to getting this settled. There had been some near disasters with her and Rene nearly running into each other several times, and then the near miss when Connie had called and asked for someone to pick up the Rangeman files at the Bonds office. When Tank said he'd sent Raul to pick them up I thought the jig was up, but luckily Connie had been in the bathroom getting sick and never even made it out of there until after Raul and his friend had left.

I knew Rene was getting impatient for his answers. When he left my office three days ago, having come in while Raul was on a pickup, he'd stood and stared at me before walking through the door. There was a look of intelligence and banked anger in his eyes as he nodded to me. "You're Raul's boss and he seems to respect you, so I've given you my trust. I'm not a patient man, Ranger Manoso. I'm nearly at the end of what little bit there is left. I want my answers. I get the feeling you know more than you're letting on. I think I should warn you to tread carefully."

I had my blank look firmly in place as I gave him a slight nod. "Dually noted."

I was hoping to find out what Steph had uncovered so I could give him something more, possibly even let him and Connie meet. Hearing from Lester that Rene had been seen scouting out around the Rosolli family didn't make me want to relax.

I'd talked to someone yesterday who had been able to give me some insider information on the families in upstate New York. When he'd given me the name of another person in the know I could only shake my head. I hadn't seen that one coming. Of course I had no intention of letting that be known.

I felt eyes on me. I turned to see Stephanie had finally joined me. Her eyes were open and she was studying me from under half closed eyelids. I winked at her before placing her feet on the floor and holding out my hand for her.

She put her smaller hand in mine and I helped her to sit up. "Sorry to fall asleep on you. I had three rough skips this afternoon and they really took it out of me. I was running on empty when I got home and then Tank brought me here."

I wrapped my arm around her as she curled up against my side. "Sorry, Babe. I was hoping we could go over what you found out before I call a meeting."

She looked up at me. "You know more than you're letting on."

I gave her a half smile, "What makes you say that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Because you don't need to know all this for Connie's benefit." She stared at me for several seconds before asking, "So, how long has Rene Bianchi been in town?"

I threw back my head and laughed outright. I leaned down and kissed her before whispering, "How did you know?"

"Connie was in the bathroom but I wasn't. Lucky for you Lula hasn't been looking at that picture of Connie and her husband or it would be all over the Burg."

"Sorry, Babe. I was trying to do damage control."

She nodded. "I know. I think you need to call them both in and let the chips fall where they may."

"You have what we need?"

"I have all of it I could get. That's some program you have, Batman."

I checked my watch and was hesitating between calling them to meet tonight or putting it off till tomorrow. She grinned at me and suggested, "Call them tonight. I'm worried about Connie. All this stress can't be good for her."

I kissed her forehead. "All right. You call Connie and I'll call Rene."

With that, I took out my phone and made the call. When I got done I turned to see Steph putting her phone back in her bag.

**Connie's POV:**

When I got done talking to Stephanie, I put my phone in my purse and went to freshen up a bit. I stood looking into my closet hoping something would jump out at me. I didn't have much in my closet that could hide my expanding middle. I decided to leave on the maternity pants I was wearing and just added a shawl over the blouse. I looked in the mirror and although it wasn't the best, it was all I had right now. It didn't take me long to get to RangeMan, and I was pulling into the garage when I felt the now familiar butterfly fluttering in my abdomen. I grinned, knowing my baby was moving. I'd been feeling that a lot the past two days and I felt tears burn the backs of my eyes as I thought of the little life nestling in my womb. I laid my hand on my slightly protruding stomach and whispered, "Don't you worry, little peanut. Mommy won't let anything happen to you." The feel of the movement once again racing across my belly made me smile. I finished parking and made my way to the elevator. I pressed the button for the fifth floor and felt nerves take hold as the elevator rushed me upward.

When the doors opened, a smiling Lester was standing there. He winked at me and held his arm out for me to take. I was grateful for the added support as he led me toward Ranger's office. He gave a quick knock, which was followed by Ranger's, "Enter." Lester opened the door and motioned me inside.

When I stepped over the threshold, I was glad that Stephanie and Ranger were the only other ones in the room. Steph patted the sofa beside her and I made my way over to sit down beside her. I bit my lip as I worried about what information they had found out. What if they had arranged for Rene to come here? What would I say? No matter how hard I tried, I had no more than snippets from our night together. And the only real proof I had that we'd slept together was the baby growing inside me.

I looked down at my hands and realized the pain I was feeling was because I had them twisted up. I pulled my hands apart and placed them firmly on my knees. I looked anxiously to the door and willed it to open. I wanted to get this over. When a hand landed on my shoulder I screamed. A second later I turned to see Stephanie biting back a smile. I glared at her, "What's so funny?"

She shook her head. "I'm usually the one caught unawares."

She nodded to the door and I realized Ranger was standing at the door ready to open it. I felt myself tense as the door opened, then Ranger stepped back and my heart went into overdrive at my first glimpse at the man standing in the doorway. Although there were some differences, he was very similar to the man in the photo that had been my first clue that something unusual had occurred in Vegas.

When his gaze met mine, there was an instant recognition even though I still had no memory of the events that had transpired. It took a minute to realize that Ranger was speaking. I heard him saying, "Rene, I take it you recognize this woman."

He nodded. "I recognize her from the photo. But I still don't know who she is."

My eyes widened. Apparently I wasn't the only one left without a clue as to what went on in those lost hours.

Ranger looked over to me as if to ask my permission. I nodded. "This is your wife. Connie Rosolli."

Rene's eyes widened in disbelief. "Rosolli? Your family is part of the mob?"

I lifted my chin. "Yes, the same as yours."

Rene shook his head. "This needs some explanation. I need some explanation on how I came to be married to the daughter—niece—what? Our families are enemies. How can I possibly explain this one away?"

I sent him one of my 'Burg girl glares. "This hasn't been a picnic for me either. Even the mention of your family's name sends my grandfather, uncles, and father, into a rage."

"Yeah well, Sunshine, that's nothing compared to my father's reaction to _your_ family's name." He turned to Ranger, "Please tell me you have more information than this."

Stephanie reached over and placed her hand on top of mine. She gave me a reassuring smile before saying, "I was able to procure several videos from the time frame when everything had to occur."

Rene's eyes turned and nailed her to her spot. "Who're you?"

Ranger broke in. "This is Stephanie Plum. She's one of the best skip tracers around. She's been looking into this for Connie and I had her enlarge her scope to include your time frame as well."

Rene looked unconvinced, "No offense, but why would you have a skip tracer investigating this? Wouldn't a private detective be of more use?"

I grinned and sat back to watch the fireworks. This was the first time since all this had happened that I was looking forward to something…well, except for my baby. Even though I was scared spit-less when I found out, I was still looking forward to holding that tiny body in my arms. Stephanie didn't disappoint.

Stephanie glared at Rene as she stood and folder her arms across her chest. She lifted her head and said, "I'll have you know that skip tracers are better than private investigators."

I saw the glimmer of a half-smile flick across Rene's face before he had it under control. His eyes were a steady stare in Stephanie's direction. In that moment it was easy to see why Stephanie had attracted the attention of two alpha males. There was no back down in her. She stood up to Rene and refused to back down.

Rene nodded. "So what did you find, ma'am?"

Oh _shit_!

"Ma'am? You're ma'aming me? Just how old do I look? Don't you dare answer that! I'll have you know I'm not old enough to be a ma'am. _You _are much older than I am."

He was unable to hold his smile back and ended up chuckling. He bowed to her. "Pardon me. What _should_ I call you then?"

She shrugged, "You can call me Stephanie, or Steph."

Rene nodded, humor was written all over his face. "Stephanie then. What is it you found?"

She moved over to Ranger's laptop and typed something in, then turned it so we could see the screen before heading back over to join me. She nodded to the empty seat and said, "You might as well get comfortable."

Rene took the seat and we watched the incidents leading up to what happened on that fateful day…or should I say night?

**Raul's POV:**

I sat staring blankly at the TV, not seeing the game that was on the screen but instead wondering what my friend was finding out. I knew whatever he found out, I'd be there to help him in any way he might need. I wasn't lying when I told Ranger I owed Rene my life. I was here today because he found me and took me to his family's doctor, telling him to treat me like family.

At that point I wasn't sure I wanted to live. I was choking on the rage I felt at the Giovincinis. They wanted to send a message to the police that they were messing with the wrong people. Since Diego was the officer on the case, they decided to make an example of him. They knew that hurting me would be more painful to Diego than if they were just to beat him and leave him. So while several of them held him, the others went to work on me. At seventeen I wasn't a pushover and I gave as good as I got, at first. But when they got tired of my landing as many hits as I took, the gloves came off and four of them held me while the remaining three landed blows where ever they felt like it. I must have blacked out because the next thing I saw was them stabbing Diego over and over. I'm not sure where I got the strength, but suddenly I was moving toward them, and I managed to put three of them down before I felt the fire on my cheek, and then the wet stickiness of my own blood. They delivered another few blows and that was the last I remember till I woke up in the clinic with Rene by my bedside.

He asked me what happened and I told him. I asked him about Diego. He shook his head. When I tried to get out of bed, he stopped me. He gave me that look… The same look Ranger has when he means business and you better listen up or else. Rene told me I had a job to do. I needed to get better so I could make something of my life. He told me Diego wouldn't want me to let the bastards win by wallowing. I made a pact with him right then and there that I was going to make a difference. As soon as the bruising faded, Rene went with me down to the Navy recruiter's office to sign up. We planned to go in the Navy after graduation. When I found out Rene wouldn't be able to join because he was a couple inches too short, I almost didn't join. But he told me to follow my own dream. He didn't want to be the one to hold me back.

When I told my mom that I'd be going in the Navy as soon as I graduated, she cried. They were proud, but having just buried one son, they weren't thrilled that I would be sent into areas where war was going on. Over the next few months, I reassured them the best I could.

Funny how fate turns out. I was in the middle of basic training when I got word that both my parents had been killed in a car accident. They'd died instantly. I was allowed to go to their funeral. The amount of people there was unbelievable. My father's side of the family, the Santiago faction, had traveled from all over for the funeral—even as far away as Spain. My mother's French/Italian family also made the long trip. Among all those people I didn't know, was the one person I was looking for. The man that had been as much a brother to me as Diego. I didn't have far to look. Rene met me at the airport and made sure he was with me the entire time.

At one point I asked him why he went after the Giovincinis. He gave me that look of his and reminded me of that night when I'd come across him in the police station. He said he knew I'd said something to Diego that had him talking to the officers to get him out of there. He knew that was the moment they decided to let him go instead of charging him. He asked what Diego had said to them. I shrugged and told him that Diego told them he wasn't like the rest of his family and they shouldn't use him as an example. He told me that I'd been a loyal friend to him and he could do no different.

There were eight of them that went after the family responsible for my beating and Diego's death, and they made sure the message would last. I knew when they got done there were no Giovincinis left in upstate New York.

We talked about many things that night. When he drove me to the airport to catch my flight, we promised to keep in touch. Once I got out of the Navy, we kept that promise by getting together two to three times a year.

I was wondering what was happening in Ranger's office. My eyes narrowed as I thought about all the possibilities. I had yet to see the picture Rene showed to Ranger. I wondered about the woman in the photo and what Rene was even now finding out.


	6. Questions Find Answers

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 6: Questions Find Answers

**Rene's POV:**

I was pissed. Once Stephanie had settled down a bit and started the video feed from the casino in Vegas, it didn't take long to see what happened. She'd clipped all the important segments and that's what we were seeing now. Looking at the scenes told the story, or at least a good part of it.

From the first clip, I knew that was right after I'd run into Tibet. I thought he'd left the bar but that wasn't the case. Once he left me he did head in the direction of the exit, but then he circled back, making his way to the bar. He sat there watching me for several minutes and then when my waitress made her way back to the bar to put in my order, Tibet made his move. At forty, Tibet was no slouch in the looks department. He was a good seven inches or so taller than my own five feet seven inches and his dark good looks made him popular with the ladies. My waitress seemed to be enjoying herself while she was waiting for my drink to be made. I could see the bartender placing the drink on the counter. Tibet said something to the server that made her blush and put her hands over her face. He used the opportunity to slip something into the drink. When she turned to pick up the drink she never noticed the slight discoloration and by the time it reached me, whatever he'd placed inside had dissolved into the drink. That cleared up part of the mystery.

The second clip showed me entering the casino and heading over to the craps table. Connie was already there and seemed to be having a good time. Watching the clip, I was betting that was what had drawn me to the table in the first place. There was no denying she was a beautiful woman. I slipped in beside her and joined in her fun. Craps being what it was, it didn't take long for her luck to change and she was finally busted out of the game. As I watched her spin to leave the table, bringing her in front of me with our eyes meeting, I felt something squeezing my heart. I watched as I smiled at her and asked her something. Too bad there was no sound to go with the clip.

Connie blushed and batted her eyes at me and I knew I'd been a goner. I held out my arm and she slid hers through mine as we left the casino and headed toward the souvenir shop and gift boutiques. She found a beautiful dress and took it to the counter with a pair of five inch black strappy pumps. Unfortunately, the only tux they had in the shop was a powder blue one. Reluctantly I grabbed it and took it to the counter. You could tell Connie was giggling and then her eyes widened and she held up a wig. I watched as I smiled at her and paid for the items. They were placed in a bag and I carried it out of the shop with Connie on my arm.

The next clip showed us stopping at the bathrooms. Connie took the bag after I'd taken the tux and wig out and we disappeared into our respective restrooms. When we came back out, we were dressed in the outfits in the photo. We walked along until we came to the Chapel of Burning Love. The clip ended with us walking into the chapel.

The final clip showed the wedding ceremony. There was no doubt that Connie and I were married. As I watched us posing for the photo, I couldn't help thinking,_ How the hell did I let myself be talked into dressing up like Elvis? _I couldn't help the half smile as I got a load of the rings we were wearing. They looked like the paper bands from cigars. I wondered what happened to them because there had been nothing on my hand the next morning when I'd woken up. That also explained the call I'd gotten two days later from the hotel telling me my wife had left behind her dress and asking what I wanted them to do with it. Now I was regretting telling them to donate it to charity. Of course, that had gotten me thinking about the photo and black strappy shoes I'd found with my luggage. That's when I knew I needed to find out what happened. Was it really possible I'd gotten married while I was drugged?

I frowned as I thought back to what I remembered from that morning. When I woke up, I was alone, Connie wasn't there. Now I had just as many questions as I'd had before only these went in a whole new direction. Since I'd been late in waking up that morning, I'd had to hurry and pack so I could catch a cab to the airport. Benny would be getting married later in the day and as best man I needed to be there.

My eyes narrowed as the last clip ended. I remembered Manoso's reaction, or rather lack of reaction when he'd seen the photo. I turned to look at him now and recognized the look in his eyes. He had no intention of apologizing. His eyes flicked toward the two ladies and I saw a minute softening in his gaze. I turned to see which one of the ladies he was looking at and noticed that Stephanie was looking in his direction. Her emotions were written on her face. I'd wondered if his being late that day was his way of showing disrespect. I knew he wasn't being as forthcoming as he could've been. I was at the point of exploding already with everything that was going on that adding more to the pot just amplified everything else.

My gaze landed on Connie. She was resting her hand on her abdomen and my eyes widened with a sudden thought. I looked up to her face, encountering her eyes. I knew from the look she was giving me that I'd hit the nail on the head with a hammer. Damn! She was pregnant. This was one fucked up mess and it just seemed to be getting bigger. My dad was going to go ballistic when he found out that not only had I married a Rosolli, but that my bride was now carrying his grandchild. I needed someone to run some interference while I got the answers I needed. As soon as we were done here I would look into it.

You could tell Connie was nervous by the way she was wringing her hands. I sat forward in my chair as I asked, "So, now what?"

Connie bit her lip and lowered her eyes slightly, as if fearing my reaction. "There's another complication. I'm four months pregnant."

I nodded. "What have you told people?"

She shrugged, "I haven't. I stayed in Vegas but I couldn't find out anything. I have missing hours that I still can't piece together. I was playing craps one minute and the next thing I knew I was wandering the casino and ran into Lula and then Steph joined us. Somewhere along the way I lost my shoes, and apparently I got married. It wasn't until I started having morning sickness that I knew I needed help. I asked Stephanie to find out what happened."

I turned to look at Stephanie. My eyes narrowed. "So how long have you known my name, and why the hell didn't you call me to tell me about the baby?"

Connie looked scared. "Our families are enemies. What was I supposed to do? I didn't know how much a part of the business you played and…"

I lifted a hand to stop her. I turned to Manoso. "You knew when we met. Why did you stay silent?"

His eyes narrowed on me. "I needed to assess the threat to Connie and by association, Stephanie."

My eyes widened and I couldn't help but laugh. "She's a skip tracer. What possible danger could she get into?"

There was silence for several seconds and I could swear Manoso looked like he wanted to throw his head back and let out a laugh. The look on Stephanie's face was priceless. She was insulted and embarrassed all in one. Connie went to say something but Stephanie threw her a glare and she changed her mind.

When no answer was forthcoming, I decided to take a breather. I looked at Connie and said, "I'm stepping up to the plate. The baby you're carrying is mine and I plan to be a hands-on father. I think we should stay married, at least until after the baby is born. We can talk about options later. Right now I need some air. I'm going to take a walk and do some thinking. I'd like to call you so we can get together and discuss things if that's okay."

Connie gave a half shrug, but she wasn't as complacent as she seemed. "Sure. Whenever. Steph or Ranger have my number."

She stood and left the room. Stephanie quickly got up and went after her.

I turned to Manoso and gave him a nod before standing and heading out myself. I exited the building and just started walking. I fished out my phone and punched in a number. It was answered on the third ring with a, "Bianchi."

"Dom. What're you doing?"

There was a chuckle. "I'm talking on the phone. What the hell do you think I'm doing?"

I grinned. Some things never changed. "Don't be an ass. I need your help."

"Who, when, any particular lesson, and why?"

Now it was my turn to chuckle. "Not that kind of help. Although Tibet is part of the reason. Keep your eyes on him."

"I hear you. What else?"

"I need you to run interference with my father for me."

There was silence. After several beats, "Say again."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "You heard me right. Remember that personal business I had to take care of in Trenton?"

"Keep talking."

"I just found out that I got married in Vegas. To Connie Rosolli."

More silence. Damn! He was damn good at this. If he kept it up, I was going to be spilling everything in two seconds.

Dom finally decided to take pity on me and said, "You don't need someone to run interference. You need a professional body guard."

"Either way, are you up for it?"

"You're family. Of course I have your back. But I want details. And they'd better be good."

I raised an eyebrow and before I could say anything, Dom added, "Don't give me that raised eyebrow look, that I'm sure is on your face right now. You heard me. Spill."

"The condensed version is that Tibet spiked my drink after I ran into him in Vegas. I met a woman at the craps table and when we left the casino we went shopping and then got married."

"Is it legal? And how did you just happen to run into Connie Rosolli in Vegas and marry her?"

"Yes, it's legal. As to what she was doing in Vegas, I don't know. But she's four months pregnant."

The words that flew over the phone would make a sailor blush. One thing Dom excelled at was cutting strips off of his prey with his words. I tuned him out until the rant was over by pulling the phone away from my ear. I put the phone back to my ear in time to hear him say, "Tibet's a dead man either way."

"Just keep your eye on him. I want the pleasure of talking to him before you go and do anything with him."

I could feel Dom's smile through the phone. I knew it would be the same smile he wore as he choked the life out of Vino Giovincini for trying to stab me from behind. Dom was five years older than me and he'd always acted more like a big brother than cousin. He was nearly a full foot taller than I was at six feet five inches and the ladies loved him. He was known as a ladies man until he met Gina. She was a waitress in one of the restaurants our family owned. Gina had dated Dom for several months until he told her about his place in the family organization. She broke things off with him at that point and said there was no future for them. Dom respected her wishes and watched her from afar, making sure she always had protection.

That's how Dom knew that Serena made it a point to sit in Gina's section whenever she went to the restaurant and see how cruelly she could treat her. My eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to me. I asked Dom, "Did you ever date Serena?"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Humor me."

"I took her out once. She was cruel to our waitress and I cut her loose. I left her with enough for cab fare home, why?"

Things started to fall in place. "Love has no fury like a woman scorned. I'm betting that's why she's targeting Gina."

Dom growled, "Yeah, well she's soon going to wish she'd never started that."

"I leave that one to you. I'm going to have someone do some digging, so don't freak out if you see signs."

"All right. Watch your back Rene."

"No worries. I'm staying with Raul."

"Then it's the morons that come at you that will need my pity. He's a good friend."

"Yes. He is."

With that I disconnected the call and headed back to RangeMan. I had the strange feeling of being watched as I neared the building. Once I'd entered, I turned and scanned the surrounding area. A nondescript green car pulled out into traffic and sped off. I was unable to catch a good glimpse of the driver, but there was something familiar about him. I shrugged it off for now and headed up to Raul's apartment. I wanted to let my friend know what had been going on, and what I'd found out since my arrival.


	7. Complications

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 7: Complications

**Giovanni Bianchi's POV:**

I stood staring out the huge picture window where I would frequently catch Rene. What was it that he saw when he stood here staring out at the view? Was he looking to the left where Boulderberg Road ran, and to the northwest Bear Mountain, could be seen? Or did he see the Hudson off to the right on the eastern side? Was he looking at the flower garden I'd had designed at his mother's request? Or was there something beyond that which drew him to this spot so often?

I loved my son. He was the one good thing that came out of my liaison with his mother. I regretted I'd never come to love her as I'd once loved my Concetta. She had been my world until that day when she failed to show for our wedding. My heart turned bitter on that day and I swore no other would get the chance to hurt me so. That's why, when my father came to me three days after my wedding failed to take place, I agreed with his plan for me to marry Allegra. My father was happy with this decision as it would allow him to marry our family to the even more powerful Colombo family.

Rene had asked many times what I had against the Rosolli family. How could I tell him that I blamed them for my Concetta not showing up on that fateful day? On that day she chose her family over me. I still didn't understand what they had against our family. I thought we would have made good allies. My hands clenched. I was strong enough now to crush them. My how the tables had turned. Oh, they hadn't gotten weaker, but with Tommaso Scillato as my ally, I could take over everything the Rosolli's held dear.

I wondered if Rene had found out anything useful about the Rosollis. He'd been gone for nearly three weeks now and should have checked in by now. I'd questioned Dom a couple times but he didn't seem concerned. He understood Rene in a way I never could.

I was proud of my son, always had been. Even at four he was a handful. He'd gone missing one day and several hours later came strolling home leading a puppy by some makeshift collar and leash he'd fashioned from fallen leaves. I was so angry we hadn't been able to find him and was harsher in dealing with him than I should have been. To teach him a lesson I'd had one of his uncles get rid of the mut. When Rene brought the leash and collar he'd made home with him, there had been a look in his eyes that made me cringe inside—like I'd just ripped the innocence from my son's eyes. He'd insisted we bury the leash, even if the puppy couldn't be accorded the same respect.

That was certainly an omen of things to come. He never wanted to be part of the business. I insisted on making him aware of everything that went on, more for his own safety than anything else. I decided Dom would fit the role of head of the family well enough, but I also wanted Rene to know he was always welcome. When he graduated from college, I handed him one hundred thousand dollars and told him I'd give him five years to make a success out of his business. I knew he would succeed but I had to admit, I didn't think it would be so quickly. He paid back every penny of what I'd given him, with interest. My brothers were equally proud of Rene. They respected his not wanting to just accept what was handed to him, and his desire to build his own empire. We were all okay with his opting out of the family business, and his cousins were showing their adeptness in taking over the reins with Dom as their leader.

I let my gaze wander over the scene outside the window once more before turning and making my way to my study. There were plans to make, and I needed to make my son and nephew know that I was growing weary of waiting.

**Stephanie's POV:**

I pulled up in front of the Bonds office and looked around to see if there might be anyone following me. I had a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach and the last time I felt this way was right before Scrog kidnapped me. I reached into my bag and pulled out the panic button Ranger had asked me to start carrying. I bit my lip and debated whether I really wanted to panic the guys for no good reason. I mean, I had no proof I was being followed. And if it was one of the guys I'd feel a bit foolish. Of course, the guys following me never gave me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I laid my forehead against the steering wheel as I fought an inner debate. I was just about ready to make a run for the bonds office when there was a pounding on the driver's side window. I jumped and then sat up to look at who was pounding on the window. What the hell was he doing in Trenton? My eyes went down to make sure the door was locked as I slowly reached out to turn the key that was still in the ignition. Cold shivers raced down my spine and I knew I needed to get out of here. I was worried about Connie though. If he was here, if I left, would he then go into the Bonds office after Connie? I hit the panic button and prayed the cavalry would get here before he could get in the vehicle.

Literally two seconds later, the sound of tires squealing as they took a corner too fast was my first clue that my rescue was here. The man standing at my window looked up, he had a patch over one eye but the other one widened momentarily before narrowing once again and turning to me. His gaze caught mine as he used his forefinger and moved it across his throat before pointing to me and smiling. He ran to a car a few spaces down and hurriedly climbed in before tearing out of there.

My heart was beating faster than the last time I tried running with Ranger. A tap on the window had me jumping again, and I turned to see Bobby and Lester standing beside me. I powered down the window and gave them a weak smile.

Bobby took hold of my wrist in a familiar hold that let me know he was taking my pulse. Lester was scanning the area as he asked, "What's the problem, Beautiful?"

"Did you see the man standing beside my door when you pulled up?"

Les nodded. "Yeah. He seemed in a hurry for some reason. Do you know why he didn't want to stay and make friends?"

With Connie's permission, Ranger had informed all the guys of what had happened in Vegas and the possible ramifications that could be coming this way. I knew they would understand what I was about to tell them so I simply said, "It was the man that started this whole thing."

All of a sudden Bobby was on his phone and Lester's hand was on his weapon, ready for anything as he motioned me out of the SUV with his free hand. They lost no time in escorting me into the Bonds office.

When we entered, Connie looked up from her computer and at the serious look on the guys' faces she asked, "What's going on, Steph? Are you okay?"

I nodded. I didn't want to worry her any more than was necessary, but knew if I didn't tell her she'd be even more worried. "The guy from Vegas just approached me."

Her eyes narrowed and she went to look out the window but Bobby put his arm around her and turned her back to her desk. "No one's going near the window or door until we have backup to get you ladies to safety."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth then we were invaded by the men in black, Aka Ranger and his band of Merry Men. My eyes widened in surprise as Rene followed Raul into the Bonds office.

**Connie's POV:**

When Stephanie entered the office with Lester and Bobby, the first thing I felt was fear. When she told me she'd been approached by that creep, I knew who she meant. I went to go look out the window but Bobby turned me back to my desk saying we were going to stay out of sight till reinforcements showed up. I knew he was right. But I hated not being in control of my life.

It was only a matter of minutes before Ranger and the guys showed up. I was doubly surprised to see Rene walk in near the end of the group. His eyes zeroed in on me and as soon as our eyes connected he seemed to relax.

Ranger went right to Stephanie and wrapped her in his arms. He leaned down to ask her something, but his voice was too low to be able to hear. She leaned into him and the look on his face made me envious of my friend. I looked away only to find Rene's eyes on me. He glanced over at Ranger before turning back to me. I could only imagine what he was thinking. For the first time I understood Steph's frustration at Ranger's blank looks.

Rene and I had been spending time together this past week, getting to know each other. I was finding him intelligent, and fun to be with. So far, the only negative was the fact that his last name was Bianchi. I could really fall for this guy. It didn't bother him that when I wore my five inch heels, I topped him by a good three inches. Rene was a very handsome man and I had the feeling that had we met under different circumstances, I would have welcomed his attention.

I was brought back to the present by a whispered, "Are you wishing you were in her place?"

I turned to meet Rene's gaze and wondered when he'd moved so close. Keeping my own voice down, I answered truthfully. "It's complicated. I do wish I had what she has, but I don't have a thing for Ranger. He's my friend and that's where it ends. What I envy Steph, is that she has someone who loves her and would do anything for her."

Rene's eyes showed understanding. He placed his hand on my waist.

Ranger knocked on Vinnie's door and when the little weasel came out, told him that Stephanie and I were taking an extended vacation. Vinnie wasn't too happy about that but he finally relented and said he'd let Joyce handle the skips till Steph was ready to come back but he wasn't able to let me have the same time off. He didn't have anyone but Lula to replace me and she'd been MIA for the last few days. Steph and I knew Lula was on a cruise she'd won but we weren't telling Vinnie because he thought she was sick.

When Vinnie refused to let me have the time off, Rene looked at him with narrowed eyes and said, "I don't think you understand. This isn't optional. Connie's life might be in danger and she will be taking a few days off so we can make sure of her safety."

Vinnie apparently wasn't seeing the same thing that most sane people would when looking at Rene. The weasel puffed himself up and apparently felt safe since he was the same height as Rene. Vinnie smirked before replying, "I think it's you that doesn't understand. Connie has a job to do and she doesn't have Ranger here who'll rearrange my nuts if I don't give her the time off. She stays."

Rene moved me so I was standing beside Stephanie and then he turned back toward Vinnie. He stepped up until he was nearly toe to toe with Vinnie and in a dangerously soft voice, Rene said, "You don't understand. Connie is my _wife_ and you will afford her the respect she deserves. I may not be Ranger, but I promise you this, when I get through with you, there won't be any _nuts_ to rearrange because they will be gone _my friend_. Oh, and by the way, if I hear you have breathed one word of this to anyone…" Rene paused and gave a small smile, "I'll introduce you to your departed loved ones."

Vinnie scowled, "Who the hell are you?"

Rene smiled. "I'm your worst nightmare. But you can call me Mr. Bianchi."

You could see the minute understanding dawned. Vinnie's eyes practically bugged out and he did a fish imitation.

Ranger chuckled as he turned to Rene and said, "I see it didn't take you long to figure out how to make him do that."

Rene smiled, "If he knows what's good for him, he'll head my warning."

Vinnie finally found his voice to say, "Take all the time you want. Christ. I need a vacation. Leave me a message when you guys are ready to come back and I might open back up." With that he went into his office and slammed the door.

Once the guys made sure the coast was clear, Stephanie and I were rushed out to the vehicles and we were on our way to RangeMan.


	8. A Meeting to Remember

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 8: A Meeting to Remember

**Stephanie's POV:**

Sitting in the conference room off from the lobby, I looked around at the rest of our group. There had to be something we were missing. We'd spent the past three hours going over everything and Rene had no idea why his father hated the Rosollis and Connie had no idea why her whole family hated Giovanni Bianchi. I pursed my lips as I looked at the information I had found through Ranger's search engines. It was pretty slim pickings. I narrowed my eyes at the computer as I thought about my plan. It had the potential to blow up in our faces, or it could resolve all the animosity and allow Connie and Rene to stay together without causing a mob war.

I looked up from my computer screen, rubbing the back of my neck. I looked up to find Ranger's gaze resting on me. He leaned over and whispered, "What are you thinking, Babe?"

I wrinkled my nose at him and said, "I have an idea… I just don't know if it'll make things better or worse."

I must have said the last part louder than I thought because Rene asked, "So what's the idea?"

I looked at him for a minute before saying, "I have a friend that might have the information we need to figure out what this vendetta is about."

Rene raised an eyebrow. "I doubt you would know anyone who would have insider information about mob families in upstate New York."

There were snickers from the guys, and Connie just rolled her eyes before reaching over and patting Rene's hand. "You just keep thinking that. But don't be surprised if she proves you wrong."

Rene chuckled as he smiled at Connie. He winked at her and leaned in to whisper something in her ear that had her cheeks turning pink. He then turned back to where I was sitting and said, "I'll reserve judgment until I'm proven right."

Ranger chuckled before kissing my cheek. "He doesn't know you like we do, Babe."

The endearment had Rene lifting his eyebrow again. He leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other resting his ankle on the knee. He motioned to the phone on the table as if to say be my guest.

I sent him a 'Burg girl glare and took my cellphone out of my purse. I ran through my contacts until I found the right one and connected the call. It rang three times before it was answered by a rough, familiar voice, "Girlie? Is that you?"

I smiled at the name and replied, "Yes. How are you?"

"Going nuts. The damn keepers are being a little too vigilant lately and I haven't been able to sneak out."

"I have a plan for that if you're interested."

"I'm your guy. What do you need?"

I couldn't help but laugh at his eagerness. "I need some information. We'll set up a meeting at the bar in Deal and your men can take all the precautions they deem necessary."

"Whoohoo! You're busting me out of the goolog. I get some fresh air. You bring the smokes and bourbon. Those monkeys will make sure the bartender doesn't slip me anything."

"You got it. I need to know about the vendetta the Bianchi family and Rosolli family have with each other."

There was silence for several minutes, and then he was saying, "I take it this is important."

I sensed something in his voice and placed a hand on my stomach. It was suddenly rolling in a way that made me queasy. "Yes. It's important."

"Okay, girlie. Meet me in two hours."

"I'll be there."

There was a dial tone before I was finished speaking and I glared at my phone. "Just once… I wish one of you guys would have the courtesy to say goodbye before hanging up on me."

The low rumble of laughter told me I had just managed to amuse the whole room. I rolled my eyes and said, "We're meeting in two hours and I'm in charge of taking bourbon and cigarettes."

Ranger grinned. "You never disappoint, Babe."

Rene asked, "Where is it we're going, and just who are we meeting?"

I turned to Rene and smiled widely. "Ye of little faith get to wait to find out."

He threw his head back and laughed.

Ranger sent Cal out after the bourbon and cigarettes and the meeting broke up. We would be meeting in the garage in forty-five minutes for the trip to Deal.

**Rene's POV:**

I couldn't believe this group of ex-mercenaries and soldiers were taking their lead from a slip of a woman. No disrespect intended, she seemed like a very nice person, but there was no way she had the contacts she would need in order to get this kind of information. According to Dom, the only other person who knew the reason for the vendetta was the man who'd taken out Tibet and his allies eighteen years ago. Dom had also imparted the information that he wouldn't want to come up against that man in a dark alley. His family's power was far reaching.

When the meeting broke up, Ranger invited Connie and me up to his seventh floor penthouse apartment. We were served a meal that made the cooks I hired look like rank amateurs. Ranger introduced his aunt when she came in to gather the dishes. When I asked her if she was interested in a job, she laughed as Stephanie threatened to do me serious damage if I stole away her Ella. I put my hands up in a surrendering motion and couldn't help the grin on my face.

As we walked toward the elevator, Connie whispered that I was living dangerously. I placed my hand at the back of her waist and winked at her before telling her not to worry. As I watched her face turn pink I felt an emotion I hadn't felt before. At that moment I wanted to take her in my arms and protect her from everything bad in the world.

We rode the elevator down to the garage, where Ranger led us to a shiny new black Porsche Cayenne. He helped Stephanie into the front passenger seat and I helped Connie into the back before going around and climbing up into my own seat. There was a black SUV that pulled out in front of us and then Ranger set us in motion. There was another vehicle that fell into line behind us. Apparently he wasn't taking any chances.

I absently listened to the girls chatter as we made our way to the meeting spot. As we turned into the parking lot, a bright green neon van pulled out of the spot directly in front of the door as we were looking for a parking space. Stephanie started grumbling something about parking gods. Ranger's shoulders were silently shaking. I looked curiously at Connie and she just shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

Once we were stopped, I went to get out, but Ranger spoke up before I could get the door open. "The guys will give us an all clear before we get out."

Impressed with his tight security measures, I nodded and waited. Less than twenty seconds later there was a rap at Ranger's window and the man called Tank gave a slight nod. Ranger opened his door and I followed suit. I helped Connie out while Ranger did the same for Stephanie. We walked into the bar and Ranger led the way over to a table in the back. Ranger placed Stephanie in the inner seat on the backside of the table near the wall and sat beside her with his own back to the wall. There would be no sneaking up behind him. I had to admire his tactical placement of himself and the woman he was clearly here to protect. I sat Connie across from Stephanie and took the seat opposite Ranger. That left a chair still open between Ranger and myself. The rest of Ranger's men placed themselves throughout the bar and I know two men had remained out front, keeping their eyes on the lookout for trouble.

I checked my watch and noticed we only had a couple minutes left before the meeting was scheduled to start. I was curious as to just who we were going to be meeting with. The thought had no more than surfaced when the door opened and an old man entered with four big beefy men that reminded me of the bodyguards that worked for my father. He motioned them to the bar and then turned and headed our way. Ranger stood and I quickly followed his lead.

The old man totally ignored us, his gaze on Stephanie as he smiled and in a gravelly voice said, "It's good to see you again, girlie. Did you bring my smokes and bourbon?"

He sat down and Ranger and I joined him. I watched in awe as Stephanie wrapped this obviously important elderly man around her little finger. She sent a finger wave to the bar and Cal brought over a drink and a pack of cigarettes. Stephanie smiled and thanked him and then took a quick look around before sliding the drink in front of the newcomer along with the cigarettes and a book of matches. I figured they had about two seconds before the goons were over here confiscating the booty and when that didn't happen I took a glance around and noted that the RangeMan guys were distracting the four men.

I had to hand it to her for creativity. She figured out a way to make it all work. Once he'd had his drink and took the first drag of his cigarette he said, "So, you want to know what the Rosolli family has against the Bianchi family and vise-versa."

Stephanie nodded. "Yes."

He nodded. "I don't know the whole story. Only that it has to do with Giovanni Bianchi and Concetta Rosolli."

I heard Connie's soft gasp and felt her stiffen. Stephanie gave Connie a quick look but then turned back to our guest and asked, "Please, tell me what you can."

He nodded. "It happened nearly forty years ago. Giovanni was in town working at the meat market in Trenton with his father's old friend Giovincini. Old man Bianchi wanted his son to learn the business from the bottom up. One day Concetta went in to the meat market to pick up a package for her mother. Giovanni took one look at her and was head over heels in love. They started going out together, fell in love, and planned to get married. Of course, when old man Rosolli found out he demanded she stop seeing Giovanni. Concetta was headstrong though and refused. She told her papa that she was going to marry Giovanni and nothing would stop her. She was supposed to meet him at the little church on the corner near his apartment building at eleven p.m., and then they planned to leave town. Giovanni was heartbroken when she failed to show up for their wedding and he blamed the Rosollis. That's all I know. I'm not sure what it is exactly the Rosollis have against the Bianchis."

My eyes narrowed as I wondered if that was the reason my father had closed off his heart. I turned to Connie and saw the tears shimmering in her eyes. I reached over and offered her a napkin. She used it to dab at her eyes. Just as I thought she was going to say something our attention was drawn back to the old man. My eyes narrowed as I took in his appearance and the goons with him, wondering what the chances were that he was who I thought he was. After all, that was the only other person who knew my father's story.

Dom had garnered the information that when Tibet tried muscling in on Alexander Ramos's gun-running operation eighteen years ago, Alexander had come after him with everything he had. He'd warned the other families not to interfere and they could go on about their business. The Giovincinis weighed in on Tibet's side and when Diego was able to gather incriminating evidence that would shut them down, that's when they killed him and nearly did the same to Raul. Alexander had taken our actions against the Giovincinis as favorable to him and had requested a meeting with my father. They became good friends after that. Dad had approached Alexander about helping him in a run against the Rosollis. Alexander wanted to know the reason so he told him. When Mr. Ramos turned him down, he told him he wouldn't help him but he wouldn't act against him either.

It was then that a pair of wise old eyes turned to me with a narrowed look and asked, "So, what's a Bianchi doing sitting at the same table as a Rosolli?"

Stephanie laughed. "Guess we can't pull the wool over your eyes can we?"

He winked at her and said, "If you want me to forget what I've seen then say the word."

Stephanie looked at Connie and me. We both nodded our heads. She turned back to the old man and said, "Tibet spiked Rene's drink when he was in Vegas. He and Connie got married but neither one of them remembered it. We're trying to find out what the vendetta is about because Connie is pregnant with Rene's baby."

The old man sat back and whistled. He turned to me and said, "You're between a rock and a hard place. Your father won't be happy." He turned to Connie and added, "Neither will your family. You don't have to worry about me telling them though." Then he turned to me and said, "If you need backup when you tell them, have girlie give me a call and we'll be there. It was you behind what went down with the Giovincinis, and as a result weakened Tibet's hand, for that I'm in your debt."

I nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Ramos. That is who you are I take it."

He grinned, "That is indeed who I am. But call me Alexander." His eyes turned steely. "If girlie gets hurt because of any of this, I'm coming hunting and all bets are off."

I schooled my face not to show a reaction. I nodded and said, "Noted." I looked over at Stephanie and my eyes narrowed. I looked at Ranger and saw his raised eyebrow. Then I turned back to Alexander and added, "You might be interested to know that Tibet is in Trenton. He caused some excitement earlier today by knocking on Stephanie's car window. He ran off when she pressed her panic button and a couple of Ranger's men showed up."

The look that crossed Ramos's face was the thing nightmares were made of. It was a face that would strike terror in the heart of the poor sap responsible for putting it there. Eyes that made your insides ice over with the coldness of his gaze. They promised murder. He turned to Ranger and nodded. "Tell your men that there will be a full contingent on her until this is over."

Holy shit! I felt another icy glare and turned to see Stephanie shooting daggers my way. I raised an eyebrow and wondered what was going on. Before I could say anything, Ranger chuckled. He turned to Ramos and said, "I hope your insurance premiums are up to date. Oh, and you might want to offer your men hazard pay."

Alexander joined in his laughter. I was mentally shaking my head and wondering why Alexander Ramos had just put sixteen of his men on Stephanie and what Ranger's comments were all about. I was also wondering why Stephanie looked ready to strangle me and why Connie was just sitting there beside me laughing her head off.


	9. Calling For The Cure

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 9: Calling For The Cure

**Connie's POV:**

When I heard my aunt's name mentioned, I couldn't hold back the gasp. Rene looked at me and I wondered what he was thinking. When Alexander told us the story, I was stunned, I didn't know what to think. As I listened to what was going on, I couldn't help but laugh at Rene. He really had no idea who he was dealing with. By the time this was over he was going to know just what a force to be reckoned with Stephanie was.

When we left the bar Rene helped me into the Cayenne and made sure that I was comfortably settled. As we made the trip back to Trenton, a thought kept nagging at me. It was a conversation from my childhood. I was about five and had woken one night because of a bad dream. I'd gone in search of my mother's reassurance that the bad men in my dream wouldn't be able to hurt me. I slipped into the darkened kitchen and at first I couldn't see anything because of how dark it was in the room. I heard what sounded like someone crying and I froze. The next thing I heard was my mother whispering into the phone that it was all her fault, she should have told someone. I felt funny inside hearing my mother crying and I had goosebumps. I tried to picture the rest of this random memory, wondering why it was bothering me now. I bit my lip and debated whether I should bring it up…but then decided I needed to know what this big feud was for my baby's sake.

I looked around and saw we were nearly back to Trenton. I decided to speak up. "Hey, Steph. I think we need to talk to my mom. I'm not sure why, but once when I was little she was crying on the phone and said she was sorry, and that it was all her fault. I never knew what she meant by that, but something tells me it might have to do with this."

Steph turned around in her seat so she was facing me. She nodded. "All right. Can you call her and ask her to meet with us?"

I nodded. "Sure. Where do we want to meet?"

A shot rang out and splintered the window by Stephanie. If she hadn't turned to face me she would be dead now. My hand was over my mouth and I was shaking all over. The front windshield was shattered and so was the door window beside Stephanie. I'd had enough time to see Ranger pull her down on the seat beside him so she was no longer visible and then Rene was protectively covering me. Instinctively, I had my arms wrapped around my abdomen as I was pressed flat on the seat. Rene was whispering in my ear, asking me over and over if I was okay. My heart was beating triple time. Whether that was because of Stephanie's close call or because of Rene's closeness I couldn't say.

The Cayenne was speeding through traffic and several minutes later we came to a stop. Ranger said, "You can sit up now."

Rene let me sit up, and he ran his hands over me to make sure I was unhurt. My heart melted at the look of concern on his face. There was a flash of him looking at me like this and then his eyes darkened as his mouth lowered to mine. When I was jolted back to the present by his asking me again if I was okay, I nodded. He helped me out of the vehicle and Ranger led us to the infirmary so Bobby could check us over.

While Steph and I were in getting a clean bill of health, Ranger and Rene were in Bobby's office seeing what they could find out about the attack. Bobby checked Stephanie out first. Luckily she hadn't been hit by the glass when it shattered and the bullet missed totally. She moved off the table and Bobby indicated for me to get up there.

"I don't think this is necessary. After all, I'm not the one that was sitting by the shattered windows."

Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest and just looked at me till I did as Bobby had asked. I rolled my eyes but climbed up on the table. Bobby was gentle as he checked me out but I couldn't help but cry out when he touched a sensitive spot on the back of my head. His eyes narrowed and he moved the hair aside for a better look. He did some gentle prodding and then asked, "When did you hit your head?"

"I haven't. It's been very tender though for the past few months."

He turned to look at Stephanie and then he looked back at me. "I want you to get an x-ray at the hospital. They can take precautions for the baby. But I want that bump checked."

Rene and Ranger had come back into the room in time to hear him say that. Rene came over and said, "We'll go now."

I went to argue but Rene shook his head and placed his hand over where our baby was resting. "I want to make sure you're okay. This little one needs you."

Tears ran down my cheeks at his sweet words. I nodded.

Ranger spoke up, "We'll take you in the Cayenne."

Rene frowned, "It's missing a couple windows. That's not exactly a good idea."

Stephanie laughed, "He's talking about the new one."

Rene's eyes widened. "How the hell could you have had time to get a new one?"

Ranger wrapped his arm around Stephanie and kissed her cheek before replying, "I keep in practice."

Two hours later we were once again returning to RangeMan. Ranger showed us to an apartment on the fourth floor and they wished us good night. He'd asked one of his men to pick up some of my things from my place, and let me know they'd been delivered. While we were at the hospital, I'd given Stephanie mom's number and she'd called her to arrange a meeting for the morning. I placed my hand on hers and gave a small smile. "Thanks, Steph."

She smiled, "No problem. A least we know why you don't remember anything."

I grimaced, "Yeah. But it also means I don't know what happened to me."

Her smile turned wry, "There's that too." She turned to Rene. "When you wake up in the morning, don't forget, Ella wants you to call her so she can bring you breakfast."

He nodded. "I'll be sure to give her a call."

Leaving us at our door, they headed to the penthouse. Once I was alone with Rene, I wondered what we were going to do here alone. I mean, I didn't really know him all that well even though we were married. Was he going to expect intimacy? Not that I would mind you know. Rene was making my hormones sit up and take notice.

He stopped in front of me and asked, "I'd like to hold you and the baby in my arms tonight if that's okay with you?"

I nodded. Truth to tell, I wanted his arms around me as well. He led me to the bedroom and kissed me gently. "I'll leave you so you can get ready and slip into bed. I'll be back in just a few minutes."

My voice was whisper soft as I answered, "Okay."

I hurried to find something appropriate to wear once Rene stepped out of the room. There was a small suitcase on the dresser, and I opened it to see my things. Looks like whoever Ranger had sent to my house was thorough in their assignment. I picked out my favorite negligee and went into the adjoining bathroom to change and take care of any necessary needs. Once I was dressed, I made my way back to the bedroom and slipped under the covers. I had just gotten situated when the door opened and Rene stepped in. He picked up a couple of things and moved through to the bathroom. When he came back out, he was wearing sweat pants and nothing else that I could see. Oh Momma Mia! I think I'm having a hot flash. How can I be having a hot flash when I'm pregnant? I thought they were for old menopausal ladies. I couldn't be going through that change while I was pregnant! Wait a minute! This was more like the hot flashes I used to get when I saw Ranger and Stephanie together. Rene slipped into the bed beside me and pulled me into his arms. I thought it would take me forever to get to sleep, but seconds later I was sound asleep.

I stretched my foot and encountered a masculine leg. My eyes popped wide and my first thought was _Oh my God!_ Did I really do what I thought I did last night? Oh man! I shut my eyes tight and promised God I would start going to church every Sunday and I would even take time to spend with Aunt Elnora. Just please, please, please, let this all be a bad dream. Well, a good dream if I just think about the sex. Uh, better make that out of this world if all I get to remember was the sex.

A male hand moved on my abdomen and my eyes opened wide. What the fuck? My hand went down and ran over the bulge where my once trim tummy had once been, and then there was an excruciating pain in my head and I felt like I was going to pass out. The hand on my stomach froze and a deliciously masculine voice asked, "Connie, are you alright?"

I barely managed to get out, "Pain in head…" and the world turned black.

**Stephanie's POV:**

Ranger and I made our way up to our apartment on seven. It'd certainly been an eventful day. Connie and I would meet with her mother, Gianna in the morning and hopefully get the Rosolli side of the story. I leaned my head against Ranger and he pulled me closer to his side. While we waited at the hospital, Hector and Manny had been able to find the location the bullet had come from. They found trace evidence on expanded bullet casings at the scene, which they collected and took back to RangeMan. We knew before we left the hospital that Tibet had been behind the bullet.

I was slightly puzzled by the fact that I seemed to be the target and not Rene or Connie. Not that I wanted them to be targets. I absently walked with Ranger as he led me from the elevator into the apartment, then he turned and took my face in the palms of his hands. He leaned down till his forehead rested against mine and asked, "Are you okay, Babe?"

I gave him a weak smile. "I will be. I just want to forget about all of this for a bit. Do you think you could help me with that?"

I got the full effect of his two hundred watt smile before he lifted me in his arms and carried me through to the bedroom. "I can definitely help with that."

True to his word, Ranger made sure I wasn't able to think about the events of the previous day for some time. And when it was once again possible for me to have those thoughts, I fell into an exhausted sleep and was aware of nothing until the sun streamed through the curtains calling for me to wake up and start the day.

I stretched and let out a moan as my muscles protested. I debated whether I should get up or if I could get away with a few more minutes of sleep. Nature was calling though and I knew it was a lost cause. I threw back the covers and sat up on the side of the bed to get my bearings. I glanced at the alarm clock and glared. Seven o'clock in the morning was way too early to be getting up. I reluctantly stood and headed into the bathroom to take care of business, and hopefully loosen up my muscles with a nice hot shower.

I'd just managed to get dressed when the Batman theme started playing on my phone. I scrambled to answer it before it went to voicemail. "Yo."

"Babe, Connie's in the infirmary."

I didn't wait to hear anything else. I disconnected the call and it didn't even register that I hung up on Batman until I exited the elevator on the third floor and ran to where Bobby's exam rooms were set up.

As I entered the room I noticed that Connie was lying on the table white as a sheet, holding her head with both hands. There was a wet cloth over both her eyes and Rene was standing beside her gently caressing her face as he whispered to her in Italian. Vince nearly tripped me up, but I managed to stay upright as I barreled past him and Raul in my haste to see how Connie was doing.

I zeroed in on Bobby and demanded, "What happened?"

Bobby shook his head. "As far as we can tell, her memory came back causing a migraine. She won't take any medicine because of the baby, so we're making do with what we have available."

I bit my lip as my eyes narrowed. I'd had some experience with migraines and although I didn't know if Connie's would react the same way mine did, I figured it couldn't hurt to at least try. I took out my phone and punched in a number. When it was answered, I asked, "How fast can you get me the cure?"

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line and then, "Isn't Manoso supposed to be in charge of that?"

"Damn it, Morelli, answer me!"

There was a short pause and then, "Five minutes."

"Use your siren and make it two." With that I disconnected the call before placing another one.

"RangeMan Security, this is Binkie. How may I direct your call?"

"Morelli's bringing the cure. I need you to get it to the infirmary as soon as it gets here."

Not waiting for a response I disconnected the call and smiled wide. See how they liked being hung up on, damn it!


	10. The Other Side Is Heard

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 10: The Other Side Is Heard

**Rene's POV:**

I was talking softly to Connie as I stroked her jaw, trying to help her forget the incredible pain from the migraine she was experiencing. I'd wanted her to accept the pills Bobby had offered her to ease the pain, but she refused to take a chance that it would hurt the baby she carried. My respect for her increased enormously. When I'd seen her in our bed writhing in pain I wanted to move mountains to change places with her. It killed me to see her in so much agony. The only number I'd had was Raul's. When I told him I needed to get Connie to the medics office he'd come right over so that I would have the access I needed.

I didn't bother with getting dressed, sweats covered everything necessary and I was by no means shy. When we'd entered the medic's wing, Bobby was just putting a final stitch in Vince's arm. Apparently, he'd answered an alarm and surprised three men that had broken into an electronics store RangeMan monitored. On seeing us enter, he jumped off the exam table to allow me to lay Connie there for Bobby to look at. Her skin was clammy and too pale, her brow was pinched in pain. Raul handed me a chair that I placed beside the table so I could stay as close to her as possible, and I arched my arm on the table around the top of her head as I gently caressed her jaw with my other hand, hoping to calm her. Bobby immediately lowered the light before coming over to examine her. I absently listened to Vince telling Raul about the incident at the store as I waited for Bobby to finish his exam of Connie.

When Ranger stopped in, he asked if anyone had called Stephanie. Bobby said he was getting ready to do that as soon as he'd gotten Connie as comfortable as he could make her. Ranger said he'd make the call. While I sat beside Connie and tried to soothe the pain away, I was still able to hear his conversation. He'd no more than said Connie was in the infirmary and then he was pulling his phone away from his ear and shaking his head.

Bobby asked him, "What's wrong?"

"She hung up on me."

The amused surprise on their faces led me to believe that was unusual to say the least. Ranger shook his head. "I'd stay, but Tank just got a call from the owner of the electronics store and we need to go do some damage control."

Bobby lifted a hand in acknowledgement and Manoso left the room.

Literally seconds later a whirlwind, called Stephanie, entered the room demanding to know what happened. She had come in at full steam pushing the half open door into the wall and nearly knocking Vince off his feet. If he hadn't done some pretty fancy footwork he would have been put on the ground by a girl nearly eight inches shorter than him and a whole light lighter. Once she was informed about what was happening, she pulled out her phone and made a call demanding someone named Morelli bring 'the cure', and giving them two minutes to have it here. She then called someone else, telling them what to expect.

Once she hung up she came over beside Connie and whispered, "I got Morelli bringing the cure, Connie. I'm hoping it will help your pain."

Connie reached out a hand and Stephanie took hold of it, leaning down closer. "Steph. Tibet. Danger. He's gonna kill you."

I could see the confusion on Stephanie's face as she asked the sixty-four thousand dollar question, "Why? How does he even know me?"

"Ramos. To… get… back… at… Ramos."

Stephanie straightened and I noticed a gleam in her eyes. Before she could do or say anything else, one of Ranger's men came in with another man. He was around six foot, maybe an inch over in height with a lean build packed with muscle. He had dark brown hair that brushed his shoulders and his eyes were a shade darker. The guy had looks, and the way he looked at Stephanie told me he was here because she needed his help. I briefly wondered at the story behind these two and what it had to do with Manoso.

Stephanie took the McDonald's bag and drink from him, and opened it, before bringing it over and placing the straw at Connie's mouth so she could take a drink. She told Connie to open up and put several fries in her mouth, all I could do was shake my head. Connie managed to eat all the fries and slowly drink the pop. She was quiet for a while, and we all looked on in anticipation. She moved her head from side to side, then removed the wet cloth from her eyes, and attempted to sit up.

I quickly moved to help her sit on the edge of the table. Connie had a slight smile on her face and although you could tell she wasn't totally pain free, she was definitely feeling better. She squeezed Stephanie's hand and said, "Thanks. That did the trick."

The newcomer narrowed his eyes and asked, "What's going on, Cupcake?" Stephanie glared at him. He raised his hands with a grin on his face, "Force of habit, Steph."

"Well, it's time to cure that habit." She relented with the glare and softly said, "Thanks for bringing the cure, Joe."

He nodded. "I hear there was some excitement on your way into Trenton yesterday."

I watched as Stephanie grimaced before admitting, "Just a bit."

He gently pulled one of her curls. "I'm glad you weren't hurt, Stephanie. Tell Ranger if he needs my help, I'll be by the phone."

She smiled gently at him and something told me there was a history with these two. Although I had seen first-hand how she was around Manoso, I could sense feelings here as well. "Thanks, Joe. I'll tell him."

I saw the sadness in his eyes as he turned to walk away. I glanced at Stephanie and saw the pain in her eyes before she quickly masked it. She checked her watch before turning our way. "Are you ready to go meet with your mom?"

Connie nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready."

I helped her down and wrapped my arm around her. I leaned down to ask, "Do we have time to swing by the apartment so I can add a shirt? I don't want to make a bad first impression on my new mother-in-law."

Connie looked at my bare chest and blushed before whispering, "That might be a good idea."

**Stephanie's POV:**

When Connie told me Tibet was going to kill me to get back at Ramos, everything started to make sense. Although I needed to know what Connie could tell me, I knew it had to wait until after we talked with her mom. We made a stop by the apartment Ranger had shown them to the night before so Rene could dress a little more conservatively for his first meeting with Connie's mom. When he stepped out of the bedroom, I had to admit, he was drop dead sexy. If I didn't already have Ranger in my life, I might be fanning myself the way Connie and Lula always did when Ranger was around.

The three of us headed down to the conference room off the lobby. Gianna was already waiting for us. She was up and hugging Connie in no time, and I heard her asking, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, ma."

Gianna nodded. "Come sit down."

Connie allowed her mother to drag her to a seat, holding tight to Rene's hand so he would go with her. Once we were all seated, Connie turned to her mother and asked, "When I was little, I heard you crying on the phone and saying you were sorry, and you should have told someone. Can you tell me what that was about?"

I could see the denial in Gianna's eyes. It was obviously something she didn't want to talk about. I had a feeling it would take a lot more than us asking before she would relent and tell us what we needed to know. I glanced at Connie and as if she knew what I was asking, she nodded her head. I took it as permission to let her mother know what was going on and why we needed to know.

I sat forward and began, "Mrs. Rosolli…"

She held up a hand, "Please. Call me Gianna."

I nodded. "Gianna. Connie needs your help. She and Rene were married in Vegas and now we need your help in understanding this feud between the Rosollis and the Bianchis. Does that have anything to do with the phone call? If so, it's very important we know what the connection is."

Gianna looked at Connie worriedly, "You got married? Why didn't you say anything?"

Connie pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for a second before rolling her eyes and saying, "I didn't even know if I actually did get married or even who it was until three weeks ago. If it hadn't been for the fact I found out I was pregnant, I probably still wouldn't know who it was that I married."

Gianna's eyes lit up with joy. "You're going to have a bambino?"

Connie smiled with pure joy. "Yes. That's why I need your help mamma. Her eyes turned to Rene and with both her hands clasped in his she faced her mother. "This is my husband, Rene Bianchi."

Gianna's face paled and she looked ready to cry.

I laid my hand over hers and tried to reassure her. "Everything will work out. Once we get this feud business sorted out, everything will be fine."

She shook her head. "You don't know."

A tear slid down Connie's cheek. "Then tell us so we can understand."

I didn't think she was going to at first, but then she straightened in her seat and nodded. "All right. For you, I will dredge up the past." She looked around, as if for a distraction.

I stood up and poured her a cup of coffee and placed it before her with the cream pitcher and sugar bowl. She smiled and dumped in some of each before starting to stir. She continued to stare down at the mug as she started to speak. "It was forty years ago. Concetta and I walked into the meat market to pick up some things for our families. This was right after I married your father. Concetta and I were best friends even before I became part of the family. We were like sisters we were so close. Well, we walked into the store and there was a young man behind the counter. His father had sent him to learn the butchering business from his good friend here in Trenton. Your aunt took one look at him and was head over heels in love. Apparently the young man felt the same. He started taking Concetta places and at first everything was just fine."

She paused to take a sip of the coffee and grimaced. She moved the mug aside and clasped her hands in front of her. Your grandfather Uberto had a meeting with Drago Bianchi. When he came home from the meeting, he called Concetta into his study and told her she must break it off with Giovanni. Concetta refused. Your grandfather was beside himself. I overheard him talking with Vitto Grizolli, asking him if he would help him to ensure Concetta's safety by preventing her from marrying Giovanni."

I could see the question in Connie's eyes but put a hand up. I wasn't willing to let her mom re-think telling us all about this. Connie nodded and remained silent. After a couple minutes, Gianna took a tissue and daubed her eyes. Then she continued. "I told Concetta what they were planning. She begged me to drive her to Giovanni's apartment and I did. I stayed down at the car while she went inside. I'd only been waiting a couple minutes when she came flying out of the building and ran right into the road. There was a car coming too fast, it was apparent that they could not stop in time, and as I watched she was hit by the car and killed instantly. I was frantic. I ran into the building and hurried to Giovanni's apartment. I wasn't thinking and just opened the door. Serafina Giovincini was on top of him and there were noises coming from them to make it obvious just what they were doing. I quietly closed the door and went back down to my car. The police were pulling up as I got there, and I ran over to tell them what I'd seen."

Her expression turned bitter. "Of course, Concetta's death never made the papers. The driver of the other car was the Governor's drunken son. It was hushed up. When I told Uberto, he was beside himself with grief. I heard him ranting that Bianchi had done this and there would be no peace as long as there was a Bianchi alive."

I could see by the expression on Rene's face that he was trying to reconcile what he had just heard with the father he knew. After several minutes he shook his head. "I believe you think what you saw was the truth, but I know my father. In the thirty-nine years he has been married to my mother, he has never strayed. If he planned to marry your sister-in-law, I am sure he wouldn't have been with another woman willingly."

My eyes widened. That queasy feeling I'd had when we were talking to Alexander was back. Connie's eyes narrowed on me and she asked, "What's going through that mind of yours, Stephanie?"


	11. A Shot Rings Out

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 11: A Shot Rings Out

**Rene's POV:**

Once Connie's mother left, the three of us sat there talking for several minutes. I had to admit, I was a bit surprised when Stephanie turned to me with narrowed eyes and asked, "What are the chances you could get your father to come here?"

I tilted my head and thought about her question. If I asked my father here, he'd probably assume I'd found something on the Rosollis, and he'd come with the full force of our family. I shook my head before telling her, "I don't think that's a good idea. He might misconstrue the meaning. He believes I'm here looking into the Rosolli's business here." I turned to Connie. "I have done some scouting around, but my motives are to find a way for peace to reign, not to make war."

There was a sudden look of determination on Stephanie's face as she straightened to her full height. "Then I guess we need to set up a subterfuge. Give him a call and ask him to come here to RangeMan."

I raised an eyebrow before asking, "Don't you think you should clear it with Ranger first?"

The door closed behind us and I turned to see the man in question had just joined us. His expression was blank but the fact his eyes went to her first was telling. "Stephanie knows that she has my full support in anything she chooses to do. Your father is welcome here." He turned to Stephanie. "How're you planning to insure they don't kill each other, Babe?"

She smiled. "We'll use a distraction."

I shook my head.

Stephanie glared at me. "You might want to give it a chance before you dismiss it out of hand."

I lifted my hands in surrender. "I wasn't dismissing your suggestion. I'm just not sure how feasible it is. My father is pretty sharp. I'm guessing he'll at least bring my cousin, Dom with him. He's grooming him to take over as head of the family."

Stephanie grinned and said, "Perfect. Will he bring your mother as well? You could tell him there's a party for a family member and she needs to represent your family."

Telling my mother there was a party was brilliant. And knowing her, she'd drag my father here single-handedly. There was nothing she loved more than a party and although my father was obvious in his lack of romantic love toward her, he always demanded she be shown the greatest respect. I gave Stephanie a wry grin before telling her, "That just might get them here."

She nodded with a huge smile on her face and continued, "I know Ranger can get Connie's family to come."

Ranger nodded.

Stephanie grinned. "I'll call my mom and have her and grandma get to work on planning the party."

I couldn't resist asking, "Why would you have your mom and grandmother plan the party? Why don't you and Connie just do it?"

Stephanie's eyes widened and she sat there staring at me for several seconds. She turned to Connie, "He's in for a dose of culture shock isn't he?"

Connie burst out laughing. She turned to me and patted my arm. "That's not how things are done in the 'Burg. Stephanie and I wouldn't have a chance of even talking to the owners of the VFW hall, no matter how much money we were willing to pay." She turned to Stephanie and asked, "Remember Victoria Habellini? She wanted to throw her parents a party and no place in town would return her calls. She finally went to your grandma and asked her for help and next thing you know she had her choice of places."

Stephanie nodded. She then turned to me and said, "If we want to have even a hope that we can get the hall, my grandma is the go to person. And no one is better at getting everything organized than my mom, especially if we're going to get this set up by Saturday night."

I shook my head, wondering how they could think they'd be able to get anyone to pull off setting up a party the scope of what we'd need in three days. I studied them both and realized they both actually thought it could be pulled off.

Stephanie turned to Connie. "Now, we need to talk about what you told me when you were in the infirmary."

Connie's eyes widened, "Tibet?"

Stephanie nodded. "You said that he was after me to get back at Alexander. I'm wondering how he connected me to him?"

"When I woke up this morning, I remembered everything from our trip." She turned to face me, and sounded breathless as she said, "You were so wonderful from the minute you joined me at the craps table and you swept me off my feet." She gripped my hand with both of hers. "You told me it was love at first sight and I felt the same way."

She looked almost shy as she continued. "There was an instant chemistry between us, and when you asked me to marry you, I went with my heart and told my brain to take a vacation." She was speaking to me now as if there was no one else in the room with us. "You took care of getting us everything we needed and after we said our vows, you took me up to your suite and it was the best night of my life." She hesitated and then hoarsely whispered, "I just wish you had the same memories that I now have." Her eyes lowered and I covered her hands by placing them between mine.

I leaned in and whispered, "Go on, love."

Her eyes flew to mine and I was lost. I knew what this feeling was and no matter what it took, I would get us through this. There was no way I was letting her go, and anyone who tried to break us apart better make sure their life insurance was paid in full. There was no question that I loved this woman sitting beside me and I would lay down my life to protect her.

Connie took a deep breath and went on. "When I woke up, you were still sleeping. My plan was to go and meet Steph and Lula so I could let them know what was going on. I put on the clothes I was wearing when we met, carrying my shoes so I wouldn't wake you on my way out." She reached out for the glass of ice water sitting on the table and took a long drink.

It took her a minute, but she finally continued. "I'd just slipped out the door when I saw the man from the videos. He was talking to another man that I recognized. Tibet was thanking him for information he'd given him that would bring Ramos to his knees. Tibet laughed and said he never would have believed a woman would be the old man's downfall. He said, "Stephanie Plum is as good as dead." She looked scared and ready to cry, as if she was once again caught in the grip of the fear she'd felt at that moment.

I enfolded Connie even closer in my arms and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before whispering to her that she was safe. She nodded and after a couple more seconds, she was able to continue with her story. "I froze as they closed in on my position. I was looking desperately for a hiding place. I couldn't go back to the suite because I'd forgotten the key. Suddenly, the one I knew shouted, "_Grab her! She'll tell Plum and spoil your plans!"_

She shuddered. I wanted to tell her to stop, we didn't need to know anymore but I could see the determination on her face to help her friend in any way she could. Unable to allow her to deal with this alone, I pulled her over so she was sitting on my lap, with her head resting on my shoulder and my arms wrapped lovingly around her. I whispered to her in the language of my father that she was safe and I would protect her always. It took a few moments before I sensed she was ready to continue.

Connie rested her hand on my chest and went on with her story. "I started running but someone grabbed my ankle and I went down. I came up fighting and managed to get away again. Turning to see how close they were, I realized it was only Tibet after me and not the other guy. I 'm not sure where he was. I noticed I still had my shoes in my hands, the heavy red ones with the five inch spiked heel. When I saw Tibet coming after me, I threw one of them at him, but he managed to dodge it and he lunged at me."

I ran my hands up and down her back in a comforting motion as I listened to her telling us the rest of her story.

Her hands clutched at the shirt I was wearing. "It all happened so fast. I took the other shoe and swung it at the right side of his face. I could feel myself losing my balance and I started to fall. I felt my head hit something hard and there was incredible pain as the world went dark. When I woke up I was on the floor in the hallway and I had no clue how I'd gotten there. I got unsteadily to my feet and weaved myself through the hotel till I stumbled on Lula." She turned her head more in Stephanie's direction while still letting it remain on my chest. "And then you joined us shortly after. I had my purse and the photo I'd brought with me to show you guys the awesome man I'd just married."

I placed my arm around Connie and hugged her close to me. To think I could have lost her before even knowing I'd found her had me wanting to rip Tibet to shreds. The man certainly had a lot to answer for.

Stephanie reached out and Manoso took her hand in his. Without taking her eyes off Connie, she leaned back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. "That explains why Tibet is wearing an eye patch. My guess is the spike heel caught his right eye and you did some damage. At a guess, I'd say that's what saved your life. He saw you were out, but he didn't stop to see if you were still alive because he had concerns of his own. That brings us to the question of who the other man was that you saw, Connie?"

Connie's expression turned fierce. "Manchouser."

The look on Manoso's face told its own story. I could understand why Raul and the rest of the men that worked for him respected him. In that moment, he was the most dangerous man I'd ever met. And dangerous men were in no short supply in my world.

Connie's eyes were drooping and I stood, pulling her up beside me. "We've covered enough for now. I'm taking Connie so she can rest, and I'll call my cousin and determine the best way to bring my parents here. I'll let you know the details as soon as I have them."

Ranger nodded.

**Stephanie's POV:**

Manchouser. That was a name I'd hoped never to encounter again. I ran across him when I was helping Ranger. Ranger had been a suspect when Alexander's youngest son was suspected of dying in a fire and the cops were hoping Ranger was the one that had started the fire. That's also when I first ran into Alexander. I'd taken him to the bar in Deal where we'd met the other day, and Manchouser had come over and tried to cause problems. Alexander's bodyguards had come in time to avert any trouble and they'd sent him on his way.

Unfortunately, he took exception to the treatment he'd received and unknowingly, he'd traced me back to Trenton and started following me around. When he'd decided to make his move, I was in a deserted alley, supposedly to meet someone with information on a skip I was after. I didn't realize until too late it'd been a set up. I'd managed to introduce his gonads to his tonsils after he broke my left forearm and bruised my ribs. While he was on the ground writhing in pain I'd made a run for it and ran into my cousins, Eddie and Shirley Gazzarra. While Shirley helped me to her car, Eddie pulled his gun and called for backup.

When we'd heard shots, I'd wanted to go and help Eddie. Shirley refused to let me go. Her face was white and looked pinched from the worry that was obvious in her eyes, but she followed Eddie's directive to keep me there. Ten minutes later Carl and Big Dog arrived and made their way into the alley where Eddie and Manchouser were. They somberly took a handcuffed Manchouser into custody after calling an ambulance to take Eddie to the hospital. The paramedics wanted me to ride with him, but I knew how badly Shirley wanted to be with her husband, so I told her to go ahead. I'd told her I would catch a ride to the ER with Morelli. Munchouser swore he'd get even with me if it was the last thing he did. Last I knew he was doing twenty years at the maximum security prison in Trenton.

I was vaguely aware of Rene leading Connie out of the conference room and turned so I was looking up at Ranger. I absently rubbed my arm where it'd been broken. Manchouser made Ramirez look like a kindergartener. Now that I knew he was out there and had given Tibet the information that put me in his sights, I knew I'd need to watch my back.

Ranger pulled me to my feet, then folding me into his arms he whispered, "I've got your back, Babe. I'll let the guys know what's going on."

I bit my lip, "I don't want any of you guys getting hurt either."

There was a look of amusement on his face as he said, "I think we can handle him, Babe."

Ranger kept his arm around my waist as he led the way to the elevator. We'd just stepped inside and turned to face forward, when a man stepped up to the lobby door and aimed a powerful rifle directly at us. Before I had time to react, I found myself down on the floor and I was being covered as the sounds of gunfire were exchanged. The elevator doors closed and we were moving upwards when I felt something wet and sticky. I tried to get up but Ranger was too heavy on me. When the doors opened on the fifth floor, all hell broke loose.

**I might be persuaded to post the next chapter if I get enough reviews. I do love them, even the ones with constructive criticism. They help me to grow as a writer. **


	12. Somebody's Hurt

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 12: Somebody's Hurt

**Brett's POV:**

Son of a bitch! Ram was going to kill me! Here he'd gone to bat with his boss to get me an interview and my first fucking day on the job, I nearly let the big boss and his lady get blown away by some scum off the streets.

I was sitting at the desk scanning my surroundings when I caught a glimpse of the guy heading this direction. He was a big man and although there was muscle, it was also obvious there was flab on him, possibly from drinking too much. He put me in mind of Lurch from the Addams Family. I used to love watching old re-runs from that show when I was a kid.

The man I was tracking suddenly stopped and pulled out his weapon, opening fire as I grabbed my own gun and took cover, never letting him out of my sight. It wasn't until I was already on the floor beside my desk that I realized I wasn't the target. It was Ranger and Stephanie Plum who were in the path of fire. When a bullet finally broke through the glass I was surprised. I knew the windows were all reinforced and only armor piercing ammo would be able to penetrate. Shit! If he had that kind of ammo…there wasn't time to finish that thought, I only had time to see Ranger turn to shield Miss Plum, then the boss was falling onto her, more than covering her protectively. Damn! I had my weapon out and was getting ready to return fire when, all of a sudden it sounded like there was an invasion force out on the street, and the man standing on the other side of the door was plastered to the glass as his body was riddled with bullets.

I used my phone and called up to the control center to let them know one of the occupants in the elevator might have been hit. Unfortunately, I got Tank and his silence after I'd explained what went on was nerve wracking. Three tours in Afghanistan didn't faze me, but Tank—he was another story.

I gingerly made my way across the lobby and looked down at the dead man on the other side of the door. There was blood smeared on the outside of the glass door and whoever the hell the poor bastard was, he was looking up at me sightlessly, well, what there was left of him was anyway. I glanced up to see a large number of men slipping into a variety of upscale black vehicles and taking off. The same number of vehicles, all black, pulled into the spaces vacated and parked.

I was unable to get the door open because dead guy was laying in such a way that the door wouldn't push open. I caught the flashing lights of the blue and whites. I looked out through the bullet-sized hole that had been blasted through the glass door and waited for them to come and question me. Shit! This day had just gone down the toilet.

**Stephanie's POV:**

My heart had started racing the minute I'd heard the gunfire. I was lying on my stomach and so the only thing I could see was the floor of the elevator because the weight from Ranger's body was holding me in place and blocking my view. Funny what you notice in situations like this. Like for instance, the floor of the elevator was cleaner than the floors of my apartment had ever been. They had a lemony scent to them as well and I briefly wondered what was used to keep them clean.

When I felt the wet sticky substance I tried to inch out from under Ranger, but the weight was too great for me to be able to wiggle out from underneath him. He was so still, and he wasn't saying anything which led to my increasing panic. If we got out of this okay and he wasn't hurt, I was going to kill him for worrying me.

I had a flashback to that day Ranger walked into my apartment knowing Scrog was there and there was a good chance that he would be killed. Damn. I felt the tears burn the backs of my eyes as I fought to keep in control. Come on elevator. Stop and open up so I can maybe get us some help. My brain had taken a vacation and it didn't register we were in a RangeMan elevator and the guys in the comm room would even now be calling for an ambulance and the police.

The doors finally slid open and the light was nearly blinding. I had to blink quickly and keep my eyelids low to bring things into focus. I didn't understand everything that was being said or why the guys were making such a big deal about me. Where they blind? Couldn't they see that Ranger needed their attention more than I did?

I was vaguely aware that Bobby was kneeling beside me and there was a look of concern on his face. His mouth was working but I wasn't hearing what he was saying. He mouthed something about "she's in shock" but I had no idea who he was talking about. Had Connie and Rene come back? Was Connie the one that was in shock?

The room started spinning and there was a roar as darkness descended.

**Bobby's POV:**

I was in my office taking care of end of the month paperwork when an alarm sounded and my pager went off telling me to get to the fifth floor. I dropped what I was doing and double-timed it up the stairs, walking out onto the fifth floor as the elevator doors opened. My first glimpse inside had the medic in me taking over immediately and I started barking out orders. I moved forward as I assessed the scene and when I didn't see anyone in motion doing what it was I wanted I yelled, "_Haul ass, now!_"

There was a flurry of movement and I nodded, knowing I'd be getting the equipment I'd asked for. At Ranger's look, I knelt down beside Bomber and started checking her out. I could see the blood pooling on the elevator floor and looked for a source. When I found it, I knew why Ranger was still covering her. His body was putting pressure on the wound sight to stem the flow of blood. Although it was a flesh wound, the bullet had nicked an artery and it was pumping out blood faster than I liked.

I was finally able to reach in and clamp off the bleeder so Ranger could move off of her and then I went to work on sewing her up. One of the guys asked why her eyes seemed unfocused and I told them she was going into shock and ordered blankets for her, and for her legs to be propped up.

Twenty grueling minutes later and I had the bleeding stopped and the last stitch in her arm. She'd be sore for a few days, but it was nothing compared to how bad it could've been. I sat back on my heels and looked around at the guys all standing around with somber looks on their faces. My eyes finally met Ranger's and there was a look I hadn't seen in a while in his eyes. It was like looking at cut glass, they were so icy. I knew if the man who did this wasn't dead…he soon would be.

I told him, "We need to get her moved. I'd like to take her to three so I can keep an eye on her till she comes around."

He nodded, knelt down and gently lifted her in his arms before standing. I stood and walked the couple steps to the elevator but Ranger shook his head. "We'll take the stairs. I won't jar her."

The elevator door was blocked open and I nodded as I glanced at the floor. I could understand his not wanting a reminder that her blood had been spilled today. I opened the stairwell door and held it for him to pass through first. Sure enough, he got her down the two flights without a hitch and I once again opened the stairwell door. This time so he could carry her into my exam room. Once he set her on the table, I checked her over before heading into my office to fill out the paperwork.

**Ranger's POV:**

Once Bobby left I pulled up a chair and sat beside Stephanie. She was too pale for my liking and I wondered at the blood she'd lost. I'd had a split second to act and I did the only thing I could. I turned in front of her and when I'd seen the bullet hit her arm, turning her around, I covered her as I got her to the floor. When I realized she was bleeding profusely from the flesh wound, I figured an artery had been hit and I used my body to apply the pressure needed to slow the bleeding.

For those few seconds we were alone in the elevator, I'd had an up front and personal view of my worst nightmare come to life. Although it was my enemies that were always cutting her down, not crazies she seemed to attract in droves. I'd wondered who we had to thank for the fact that instead of a bullet between the eyes, which is where the shooter was aiming, she instead received only a flesh wound.

That was the longest minute of my life. Well, it tied with the time she was missing and we knew Abruzzi had somehow gotten her. And the time before we found her when the Slayers kidnapped her. And the time she went missing at the funeral home and I finally found her crammed into that damn cupboard. Shit! I felt like I had aged ten years. No wonder I was able to give up missions. Keeping up with Stephanie was more than any adrenaline rush junkie could handle.

I positioned my chair so I could be as close to her as possible, lifting her hand in mine. My eyes narrowed. There was only one way for a bullet to get through the door or windows on the main level. The bastard had used armor penetrating ammo. Once I made sure Stephanie was awake and all right, I was going hunting.

**Tibet's POV:**

That ass! I told him not to go near the building. I looked up at the man who'd brought me the news that Manchouser was dead and narrowed my eye. "Make sure the men know that anyone else that acts against my orders will pay with their lives. I've spent nearly twenty years plotting my revenge on that old man, I won't be denied now!"

He nodded and hurried out of the room.

I sat back in my chair and steepled my fingers together near my chest. I thought about the information I had received about Manchouser several months ago and that first meeting in Vegas. The man was on the lam and he decides to go to Vegas. I suppose that should've been a warning to me not to get involved with him, but damn it—he had information I needed. I didn't care what it cost.

I was waiting in the casino till the meeting time, when who should I see but the bastard who took out over half of my muscle. Once he took out the Giovincinis, I'd had no recourse in my battle with Ramos but to cede victory to him. As penalty, Ramos demanded nearly everything I had built up. His parting shot was that I was lucky he was allowing me to continue breathing. That was _his_ fatal mistake in my book. I wouldn't rest until I'd paid him back in kind.

I couldn't help slipping the drug in Bianchis drink, and I had just enough time to make sure he'd drunk it before I had to leave. When Manchouser gave me the information I'd been looking for, that Ramos had a soft spot for Stephanie Plum, I was thrilled. I arranged a second meeting with Manchouser the next morning. I wanted to leave nothing to chance on this one.

We were discussing different plans, when I looked up to see a woman in the hallway. Manchouser said to grab her as she would tell the Plum woman, so I went after her and managed to grab her ankle. She went down, but came up fighting and she got loose. I motioned for Manchouser to circle around and I went after her. She threw one of the spike heeled shoes in her hands and I managed to dodge that and lunged at her. That's when she took a swipe at me with her other shoe, losing her balance she went to fall. I caught the heel of her shoe in my right eye and blood spurted everywhere as I was momentarily blinded.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and Manchouser was telling me we needed to get out of there. He told me the woman was dead, apparently she'd hit her head on the table in the hallway. I let him lead me away, and was grateful when he took me to a nearby hospital.

It had taken me nearly a month before I'd had full vision in my eye again. Then came the tedious task of stalking Stephanie Plum. I'd made a few attempts, cut gas lines, blowing up her cars, but she always seemed to sail through it unscathed. Soon. Soon I would go after her and use her as an example to Ramos that you should never underestimate an enemy. I smiled. I was ready to step up my timing.


	13. Ranger's View

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 13: Ranger's View

**Ranger's POV:**

Three hours I sat beside Stephanie, watching her breathe and thinking about the incidents that had occurred over the past few days. The dark room and the sounds of the machines monitoring her blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen level, didn't register. I was in warrior mode and although my mind was working overtime on analyzing the data I had, I was singly focused on the woman lying in the bed. This was one of the reasons I'd been considered the best of the best at running missions. I had the rare ability of using the different areas of my brain at the same time.

One part of my brain was replaying the scene when Stephanie and I had stepped into the elevator. In slow motion I saw the figure on the other side of the door pull an AK-47 and take aim. I knew by his trajectory that he was aiming at Steph's head. He was going for a kill shot. Although I'd had all the glass on the main floor reinforced, meaning that no bullet would get through unless it had armor piercing ability, I was taking no chances with my Babe's life. I turned to cover her. When I saw the bullet graze her arm as I was in the act of lowering us to the floor of the elevator, I turned her to give me the force needed to put pressure on the wound sight and at the same time protect her if it became necessary.

Once the elevator doors closed shut, I tried to get a response from her by asking her questions. When she didn't respond, I wondered if she was in shock. Bobby running through the stairwell door as the elevator doors opened on the fifth floor was a welcome sight. He went into medic mode immediately and started barking out orders. When the men weren't moving fast enough, he let them know in no uncertain terms he wanted them moving now.

Manny and Hector shut the elevator down so the doors would remain open and I remained where I was to give Bobby the time he needed to find the bleeder and to clamp it off. When I was finally able to move, I didn't want to lose my connection to her, but I knew Bobby could work better without having me on top of her.

While he did what he needed to do, I conferred with Tank. I learned the shooter was dead, and the cops were on scene. He relayed what the new hire Brett had told him and I nodded.

Five minutes after the shot was fired, my phone rang. I pulled my phone out and answered it. "Yo."

There was a rough, gravelly voice on the other end asking, "Anybody hurt?"

My eyes went to Tank in silent communication. His eyebrow raised and there was a hint of a smile on his face. I turned my attention to the call and replied, "Stephanie has a flesh wound that nicked an artery."

There was a growl on the other end. "You know what I told you if girlie got hurt."

I kept my blank face in place as I replied, "Your men left a message that even an idiot would understand."

There was a raspy chuckle. "Good thing it happened at the change of rotation. My men have permission to shoot to kill if they see Tibet. I'm not rescinding that order."

"Understood. Just so you know, my men will be hunting the bastard as well."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Tank had received a call while I was talking to Alexander and he was just disconnecting as I finished my call. He looked at me, then over to where Stephanie was still lying with Bobby working on her and said, "I'm going downstairs to deal with the cops."

I nodded, knowing at least for that day there wouldn't be any questioning taking place.

Even as I ran that scene, I was thinking about the information we'd gotten about Manchouser helping Tibet. I wasn't able to get a good enough look at the shooter to make an ID at the time because my attention immediately went to Stephanie. I knew if Tibet was moving against Alexander, he had to have resources at his disposal. What were they? Who were they?

Then there was the whole situation with Connie and Rene. Stephanie's plan had the potential for being an act of genius, or for being an act of supreme idiocy. Until the script played out, we'd have no way of knowing.

A slight movement in the dark had me zeroing all my attention toward the too still figure in the bed. I stilled and waited. Sure enough, Stephanie moved minutely, and by the frown lines between her eyes, I had an idea she must be starting to feel some pain. I pressed the call button for Bobby and lifted her small hand in mine as I waited for him to answer the call.

**Stephanie's POV:**

Son of a bitch! What was the fire in my arm? I moved slightly and the pain was intense. Okay, maybe I would just lie here for the rest of my life. My stomach chose that moment to tell me it'd been too long since I'd had something to eat. Also, nature was telling me I needed to move within the next few minutes or risk something that hadn't happened since I was two. I struggled to open my eyes.

I smelled Ranger's shower gel and knew he was close by. I moved my head in the direction of the smell and tried to gain his attention. As if he knew what I was thinking, I felt my hand lifted in his larger one. I squeezed his hand as I struggled to open my eyes. I nearly had them opened when the light was switched on and I groaned in pain.

The lights instantly went back off and Ranger's voice was low as he said, "It's all right, Babe. You can open your eyes. The lights are off."

I slowly opened my eyes and it took a moment to register where I was. I frowned, "What am I doing here?" My gaze flew to Ranger in panic, "You were shot! Are you okay?"

I felt incredibly warmed with love as Ranger smiled gently, and said, "You never disappoint, Babe." He then leaned down to kiss my forehead.

My stomach chose that romantic moment to growl, and I felt Ranger's body start to silently shake. I rolled my eyes and softly said, "I need to use the bathroom too, but it hurts to move."

The next thing I knew, Bobby was removing the wires and leads that he'd hooked me up to so he could monitor how I was doing.

I was carefully lifted into Ranger's arms and he carried me through to the bathroom. I felt my cheeks heat as he lowered my jeans and underwear so all I had to do was sit on the toilet seat. He even eased me down onto the seat before winking at me and stepping out of the bathroom.

I could hear voices talking in low tones, but I was unable to hear what was being said. When I finished answering nature's call, I slowly stood and took care of things before washing my hands. The pain in my left arm was intense. Using my right hand, I wet a washcloth and wiped my face. I felt marginally better. My stomach let out another roar. I rolled my eyes and slowly moved to the door to join the guys in the exam room.

When I opened the door, I noticed that Tank and Lester had joined our group. My gaze went over each of the guys in turn and the fact that the hair on the back of my neck was standing on end told me they were discussing what had happened earlier. My eyes narrowed and I zeroed in on Ranger. "What's going on?"

He rolled his shoulders before making his way over beside me and walking me back to the exam table. Placing his hands on either side of my waist, he gently lifted me so I was sitting back on the table. Ranger surprised me as he vaulted himself up beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as he pulled me close, so my head rested on his shoulder.

His lips brushed my forehead before he said, "Tank was just updating me in on what was going on downstairs. The police were asking to speak with us, but Tank let them know they'll have to wait until you're awake."

I groaned. I was so not ready to talk to the police about this just yet. I closed my eyes and moved my head on Ranger's chest. "Any chance we can put that off till tomorrow?"

I felt Ranger smile against my forehead. "The guys told them when you woke up, Babe. That should be sometime tomorrow afternoon."

I tilted my head up to look into his face and smiled. "Thank you."

He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. "You ready for something to eat now?"

The roar of my stomach was answer enough and I laughed along with the guys. Ranger stood and lifted me in his arms. He carried me to the stairs and I looked at him questioningly before asking, "Why don't we just use the elevator?"

There was an intense look of pain on his face and I lifted my good hand to touch the side of his face. His eyes closed as he moved his head up and down, so that my hand was rubbing the side of his face, for several seconds. He opened his eyes and said, "I need to get a decorator in here to remodel the elevator before I'll be able to get back in there, Babe."

I knew he could read the confusion in my eyes. He shook his head and continued, "The sight of your blood spilling out all over the floor is too fresh in my mind. Maybe if we change the look I'll be able to step back in there. For now, it's the stairs."

I lifted myself slightly so I could kiss the bare skin at his neck and then settled down with my head against his chest. As he carried me up the stairs with the guys following along behind us, I asked, "Did Bobby take care of your wound?"

"What wound, Babe?"

"When I was lying under you I felt something wet and sticky and knew you'd been hit with a bullet. I tried to get out from underneath to take a look, but you were too heavy."

His hold on me tightened as he told me, "I wasn't hit. You were the only one that got hurt."

I stayed quiet as we made the climb to the seventh floor. My only thoughts were that I was glad Ranger hadn't been hurt as well. I'd take as many bullets as I had to in order to spare him. My eyes closed momentarily at the rhythmic motion of his body as he traversed the stairs.

I felt warm lips on my forehead and Ranger's low voice telling me to open my eyes. When I looked up into his face there was a look of relief in his eyes. He gently set me down on the sofa and it was then I realized we had company. The guys had followed us to the penthouse and were now sitting around the den.

Ranger lifted my feet and sat on the love seat beside me before placing my feet in his lap. The shades had been drawn to mute the brightness of the sun shining into the room, yet still allowing it to light up the room naturally. Bobby, Tank, and Lester, had all taken up seats positioned around the room. The aroma of fresh made bread and marinara sauce had my stomach growling fiercely as Ella wheeled a cart into the room with wrapped parcels from Pino's.

Ranger went to get up but Lester held up a hand and asked, "What would you like, Beautiful?"

I rolled my eyes, "Do you really need to ask?"

He laughed and brought over a meatball sub. It hurt to move my left arm, but there was no way I was letting a little pain—okay, a lot of pain, stand between me and a meatball sub from Pino's.

While we ate, the guys joked around a bit, keeping well off the incidents of the day. When I finished my sub, I leaned back against the love seat and listened to their easy banter. My eyes got droopy and the next thing I knew I was being lifted into powerful arms and the smell of Ranger's shower gel was close by. I felt as if I was floating on air, and then I had the sensation of falling and clutched at the closest thing at hand as I moaned.

Ranger's voice was low as he said, "It's all right, Babe. I've got you. You're safe."

I nestled closer to him and allowed sleep to once more claim me.

**Unknown POV:**

Damn it! Where the hell was he? According to all of my sources he'd left a few weeks ago and hadn't returned. I'd made sure my phone was on since I was expecting a call from him at any time. Why hadn't he called me?

Just then my phone rang. I started to smile smugly but when I saw who the call was from, my smile changed to genuine happiness. Although I hadn't seen him since his trip to Vegas, I couldn't wait to be in his bed again. Oh the things that man could do to a woman.

I connected the call, lifting the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"You're not doing your job very well."

I paused for a moment trying to figure out what he was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"He's not there with you is he? I'll bet you don't even know where he is."

"Well, no. I'm not worried, though. He had some out of town business and I know he'll be back soon. Don't worry, I have him right where I want him."

"You better be right about that. In the meantime, you need to get to Trenton because he's here. There's a woman he's hanging around too."

My eyes narrowed. "I'll be there tomorrow. I've been working on him for months now. There's no way I'm letting some other bitch get her hooks in him and cheating us of the payoff we're looking at."

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line and I felt my panties dampen as my juices started flowing at just the sound he made. There was satisfaction in his voice as he said, "That's my little vixen. I knew I could count on you."

With that the line went dead, and I placed my phone back in my purse. I narrowed my eyes as I watched the woman leaving the restaurant. Soon… I'll be back in town to deal with you soon. I started my car and pulled out into traffic, heading to my apartment to pack for my trip to Trenton, New Jersey. I was looking forward to the day when he knew he'd been played for a fool. Even better than that would be the look on his cousin's face as he stood looking down at the dead body of the woman he was so bent on protecting. Now_ that_ was a day I was so looking forward to.


	14. Reassurances

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 14: Reassurances

**Tank's POV:**

Sitting in Ranger's apartment, I couldn't help letting my gaze stray to Little Girl as we ate the subs and pizza we'd had delivered. I noticed Santos and Brown were doing the same thing I was. When those elevator doors opened and I saw her lying on the floor of the elevator with Ranger on top of her trying to stem the flow of blood gushing out of her arm, I wanted to do physical damage to someone.

Brett called me and told me there might be someone hurt on the elevator and clued me into what happened. I was pissed these bastards brought this to our house. Leaving the floor and heading downstairs had taken all the discipline I'd accumulated in my years in the Rangers. My heart wanted to stay there until I knew Stephanie was going to be all right. Instead, I made my way downstairs to walk Brett through the routine of dealing with the police and piecing together what the hell had happened.

When I reached the lobby, I understood the storm of emotion that Brett was trying to keep from showing. He was mad as hell and at the same time, anxious. Probably because this was his first day on the job and he was worried he might have fucked up.

My glance went to the door and the sight that met my gaze was not what I was expecting. Blood smeared the glass from where it was obvious the poor bastard had his hands up above his head against the glass, all the way down. There was a single hole in the glass on the door where the bullet broke through.

Brett turned in my direction and moved over to my side. He stood at attention and at one point I thought he was going to salute me. He nodded slightly before saying, "Sir."

I looked over the scene before telling him, "Walk me through it."

His hands clenched, and he squared his shoulders, as if preparing himself for what was to come. "I noticed the figure approaching and was tracking him. He stopped and pulled his gun. I drew my weapon and took cover, then realized the boss and Miss Plum were his targets. He took aim and fired. Before I could act, it sounded like all hell was breaking lose outside and the shooter was plastered to the door as bullets riddled his body in rapid fire succession."

Brett shook his head and his gaze met mine. "There was a line of them across the street that opened fire with a range of weapons, but each held thirty round magazines and some were in holsters with multiple magazines. They emptied their weapons into the guy. Then a guy in a janitor suit swept up the spent casings and in seconds they were in their vehicles and moving out. They'd no more than pulled out and a new group of vehicles took their place.

He looked at me hesitantly for a moment and then lowered his voice. "Is there anything you'd like me to forget when I talk to the police."

I turned and fixed him with a steely stare. When he started fidgeting, I told him, "I'm not asking you to tell the police, or for that matter, not to tell them anything but the truth. I wouldn't _volunteer_ any information though."

Our gazes locked and after several seconds, he nodded. "Understood. Tell them the truth and answer their questions."

I stayed with him while the police asked their questions. It'd been Morelli that knocked on the door. We went over and I pushed the door open so we could go out and join him. He was looking at the blood smeared door and the body that the medical examiner was kneeling beside.

I took a look at the dead man, and had to work hard to hide the surprise at the condition of the body. Whoever the man had been, he was unrecognizable due to the numerous rounds he'd taken to his body, including the head. Since he'd been shot in the back, the exit wounds were on the front side of his body and to say he looked like a piece of hamburger would be putting it mildly. He was missing a lot.

Morelli asked, "Any idea who it might be?"

I shook my head. There was no eye patch and we knew Tibet was sporting an eye patch. Although I might suspect Manchouser, I had no way of knowing, so I stayed quiet. Morelli motioned inside the building and asked, "Mind if we step inside a minute?"

"Fine by me." I told him, as I moved to lead the way into the lobby.

Morelli was looking around and his eyes zeroed in on a spot of splattered blood on the floor by the elevator. His eyes drilled into mine, "Who got hit?"

I met his gaze as I told him, "Stephanie took a hit to her left arm. It's a flesh wound but nicked an artery and she lost a lot of blood. She's upstairs getting worked on."

His hands clenched and I could see the struggle to keep his cop face in place. After several seconds he motioned to the door. "Who was on duty at the desk?"

I nodded to Brett. "Our new man here."

Morelli turned to him and shook his head, "Better get used to this if you're going to hang around Stephanie. What happened?"

Brett shook his head before lifting a shoulder. "I was tracking the dead guy as he approached. Suddenly, he stopped and pulled an AK-47 out and took a shot. I was getting ready to act when his body started jerking in place as he was hit by several rounds of ammo."

Morelli's eyes narrowed, "Did you see who did the shooting?"

Brett shook his head. "No."

Morelli moved his head from the left to right as if working out the kinks and asked, "Do you know who might have done the shooting."

Brett shook his head and responded. "I don't know who shot him."

Morelli looked around for a moment and then said, "Thanks for your time. If you think of anything useful, give me a call. Your boss knows how to get in touch with me."

Brett nodded. "I'll do that."

Morelli turned to me, "Let Ranger know I'd like a statement from him and Stephanie."

"I'll tell him, but you'll need to wait till Stephanie is feeling up to it." Was my answer.

"Understood."

We stood there silently until Morelli was gone and then Brett turned to me with narrowed eyes, "He didn't ask very many questions. It's like he already knew who did the shooting."

I turned to Brett and said, "We don't pay you to speculate on how the police handle an investigation. Are you able to finish out your shift?"

He straightened almost to attention and replied, "Yes, sir."

"At ease. Make sure you write up what happened as you saw it and what you told the police."

Brett nodded, "Yes, sir." As I started to go I heard, "Sir, is Miss Plum going to be okay?"

I turned back to him somberly and said, "I hope so. Probably. But nothing's guaranteed."

He swallowed hard. "Yes, sir."

I was suddenly aware the room was too quiet. I turned to look at the guys and saw they were all looking at me. I glared and softly demanded, "What?"

Lester's eyes got wide and I knew he was just busting to make a comment. Fortunately for him he kept his fucking mouth shut.

Brown on the other hand was trying to hide a smile as he said, "Gotta be more aware of your surroundings, big guy."

The only thing saving him from a belt in the mouth was the soft laughter coming from Stephanie. I turned back to see her smiling at us and forgot all about Brown's antics. I smiled and said, "Glad to see you awake, Little Girl. How're you doing?"

She grimaced. "I'm feeling a bit better now that I've eaten. I didn't think flesh wounds hurt this bad."

Bobby was in motion and checking the bandage to make sure it hadn't started bleeding again. He opened his bag and held up a bottle of pills. "I can give you a couple of these if you'd like, Bomber."

She hesitated. "I don't want to be out of it. Do you have something that would take the edge off, yet still let me stay in control?"

He looked around in his bag and came up with another bottle. She nodded and he shook two out for her. She used the pop still in her cup and swallowed them down. Once she'd taken them she sat back against the love seat and smiled. "Thanks, Bobby. Any idea of what happened to Manchouser?"

My eyes narrowed. "Is that who you saw at the door?"

She nodded somberly, "Yes. That's a face I'll never forget."

"You won't be seeing him around again then. He took several rounds."

She grimaced. "I should be sorry. I mean he was a human being and he lost his life, but..."

Ranger rested his hand on her knee and rubbed her leg slowly. She turned to him and the love in their eyes was beautiful to see, I felt the warmth from it clear across the room. He spoke softly so only she could hear. I knew by the widening of her eyes, he'd asked her a question. Understanding dawned on her and she nodded. He winked at her and her cheeks heated.

I turned to see Santos and Brown were similarly affected by seeing the two of them together. I stood, knowing it was time to let them be alone. They didn't need an audience any longer and we'd gotten the reassurance we needed that she was truly going to be okay.

**Rene's POV:**

I led Connie to our apartment and then sat her on the sofa to rest while I fixed us a meal. Being the owner of a restaurant bar and grill, I had several specialty dishes I had mastered. I looked in the fridge to see what ingredients we had on hand. I quickly gathered what I needed and made an Italian beef and mushroom sandwich with a medley of cheeses blended into a sauce that tied the whole thing together. I added a romaine and spinach salad with a special peanut sauce dressing as a side dish. I carried the sandwiches and salads as well as drinks and utensils into the living room where I'd left Connie, and set everything up on the coffee table.

I was pleased when she'd taken her first bite and her eyes closed as she chewed with a look of enjoyment on her face. Once her mouth was empty she looked over at me and asked, "Where did you learn how to make these? It's the best sandwich I've ever tasted."

I grinned. "I own several restaurant bars. This is one of our main dishes."

Her eyes widened. "Just how many is several?"

I winked at her. "Seven right now. I'm looking for number eight."

She looked suddenly scared and set her sandwich down. I put my own dish down and knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in mine I asked, "What's wrong, Connie?"

She shook her head. "You obviously have money. I'm just a working girl."

I placed a finger over her lips and gave her a stern look. "Don't go there. I'm not a snob. Neither is my family. I'm thirty-five years old, if I'd wanted a spoiled princess wife, I'd have married one."

There was a look of pain in her eyes as she said, "But don't you see? You were drugged…"

I let her get no further. I covered her mouth with mine and let the passion I felt inside for her speak for me. We were both breathing hard when the kiss ended. "Trust me when I say I married you because I fell in love with you. Nothing else would have made me act in such a manner. Yes, Tibet drugged my drink. It may have loosened the inhibitions, but not the person I am. I love you, Connie. I'm very happy you are my wife. I'm just sorry I have no memory of our night together or the wedding."

I placed my hand over where our child grew. "I must admit to you that I have dated someone since."

When she went to protest, I placed my mouth once again over hers. When the kiss ended, I said, "Let me finish. I dated this woman at my father's request. She held no interest for me and nothing would have come from it. I just wanted you to know so you wouldn't be hurt if someone else mentions it."

Her eyes teared up. She nodded and said, "All right, Rene. I'll trust what you say. You're happy then? About the marriage and the baby?"

I smiled. "Happier than I've ever been. My mother and cousins are going to love you. It might take a bit longer, but my father will come to love you as well. I'll call them in the morning and invite my mother to the party. My father won't stand a chance."

She smiled shyly, endearing her even more in my heart. I teased her into trying more of the food I'd made and she managed to eat a good bit more before declaring she was full. I discarded the leftovers and set the dishes to soak, that done I rejoined my bride. She was sleeping on the sofa and I smiled with all the emotion I was feeling inside clear for anyone that was looking. I moved forward and lifted my wife into my arms and carried her through to the bedroom.

**Second Unknown POV:**

I had no more than gotten home and my landline started ringing. I rushed to unlock the door so I could answer it and just managed to lift the receiver to my ear in time. "Hello?"

I recognized the voice on the other end immediately. "I need you to come home to Trenton. There have been some developments, and I need you where I can ensure your safety."

"But, papa, my work is here."

"Tell them you need a vacation, or that a family member is sick—just come home, now. It's the only way I can ensure your safety. I can't lose you as well as the rest. It would destroy me."

I sighed. All right. I'll come home. I'll be there sometime tomorrow."

"Good. See you then."

I heard the dial tone and sighed as I replaced the receiver. I moved over to the window and looked out. I felt a tear fall onto my cheek as I looked absently at the scene outside the window. I came here twelve years ago hoping to give my grandfather revenge. I wasn't able to do so because I had the misfortune to fall in love with the enemy. It was love at first sight on my part. We had dated for several months and then he told me who he was and what his position was in the family. I told him it wouldn't work and forced myself to stop seeing him.

There hadn't been a day that passed that I didn't regret that decision. But we came from opposite sides of a war that took place eighteen years ago, and I couldn't hurt my grandfather like that. I was the only one left from this side of the family. My mother had already betrayed him and I couldn't do the same.

I'll never forget that day. I was just five years old and she left me with an old man I didn't even know. I stood there shaking at the venom in her voice as she told her father she hated him for making her marry that bastard—meaning my father. I stood there listening to her spew her hatred as she gloated how she'd made a deal with his old friend Drago Bianchi to break up his son's relationship with a Rosolli. And how did he like it that she'd spoiled his chances of having a merger with the Rosolli family. She'd continued to tell him everything she'd done to achieve that.

I squeezed myself as far as I could into that corner. I was scared. Scared because she said she was going to leave me with him and scared she might change her mind and continue to torment me. I smelled urine and knew I'd wet myself again. No matter how much it enraged her, when she was like this I couldn't help it. Oh God! What would I do if the old man locked me away like she always did?

Her face was like in my nightmares. She looked so angry, like when she would hit my father. Like that night when the police came with the ambulance that took him away. I didn't understand why they covered his face. Didn't they know he wouldn't be able to breathe? I cowered in the corner then too—as I listened to her tell the police she didn't know what happened. He was like that when she came home.

I closed my eyes and fought to put the memories back in the closet of my mind where they belonged. It'd been twenty-five years since I'd seen my mother. I knew she couldn't hurt me anymore, she'd been killed by a hit and run driver when I was eight.

I pulled out my cell phone and called my boss. It was bittersweet to hear his voice. I told him the lie that my grandfather was ill and needed me. He assured me I could have as much time as I needed. It wasn't till I disconnected the call that I felt the wetness on my cheeks. I wiped the tears away and went to pack a few things. I wasn't sure how long I would be gone. Or for that matter, if I was even coming back.


	15. Plans Coming Together

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 15: Plans Coming Together

**Rene's POV:**

The sound of my phone woke me. I hurried to grab it from the nightstand before it woke Connie but the fluttering of her eyes told me it was too late. I checked to see who was calling and grimaced as my father's name popped up. I connected the call and kept my voice down as I watched my wife waking up. "Hello."

"Rene. I haven't heard from you in nearly a month. What's going on there?"

Connie's eyes opened as she turned to face me. A smile graced her beautiful face and I couldn't help but smile in return. I moved my hand over her belly where our child was growing inside her and my eyes heated at the feelings I was experiencing. As I watched her eyes widen I answered my father, "I've been looking into a few things."

"You're not alone are you." It was more a statement rather than a question.

"No. I'm not."

There was a chuckle on his end. "So, you and Serena finally got together, eh?"

"No. I have no idea what she's up to, nor do I care. My interests lie elsewhere."

There was silence for several beats and then, "Does she know you'll be marrying another woman?"

"I've told her about you wanting me to marry a woman I have no interest in. She knows there's nothing to worry about on that score. I'm with the woman I want to be with. I'm not falling in with your plans to tie our family in with the Scillatos."

"Damn it, Rene! You know this is a deal breaker."

"It's a bad deal. I won't discuss it any further. Just rest assured I won't be merging our families. Now, is Madre there?"

I pulled the phone away from my ear as my father started ranting in Italian. Connie's expression turned uncertain and she bit her lip as she heard the angry voice of my father. I caressed her belly once more and trailed my hand up to cup her cheek, to let her know everything would be okay and for her not to worry.

I put the phone back to my ear in time to hear my father say to my mother, "Here. Talk sense into that son of yours, he sure as hell refuses to listen to reason from me."

My mother's voice came over the line, "Rene?"

I smiled. "Yes, Madre."

I could hear the smile in her voice as she told me, "It's so nice to hear your voice. I've missed you the last few weeks."

"How would you like to join me?"

There was a moment of silence, and then, "I couldn't leave your father by himself…"

I chuckled. "Bring him along. I'd like you both to come. I'm in Trenton, New Jersey, where Raul works. He wants to have a party for me and asked if you'd like to come."

The excitement in her voice was evident as she said, "Oh! I love parties. Of course I'll come. And your father will be there as well. It's been ages since we've done anything like this."

My smile grew and Connie raised an inquiring eyebrow at me. I winked at her and continued, "I knew I could count on you, Mamma."

She giggled and replied, "Oh, Rene. I'm so excited. We'll call you when we get to town, shall we?"

"That would be fine. Let me give you the address where I'm at. You'll be able to stay here with me while you're in town, unless you want to stay in a hotel, of course. I know how you look on staying in a fancy hotel as a treat. I'd like you to bring Dom as well. Tell him I specifically asked."

"All right, Rene. I've got a pen and paper. What's that address?"

I rattled off the address to the building and we said our goodbyes. When I disconnected the call, I turned, giving Connie my full attention. "They'll be on their way soon. My father doesn't stand a chance against my mother when there's the promise of a party. He might not love her, but he tries his best to spoil her with things she wants."

She looked sad as she said, "I bet your mother would trade it all for one 'I love you."'

I had to admit, I thought she might be right. But we lived with the hand we were dealt.

**Stephanie's POV:**

It was nearly ten the next morning before I struggled down to my cubicle on the fifth floor. I made the mistake of taking the elevator and although it had been thoroughly cleaned, the smell of fresh lemons brought everything back, and by the time the doors opened I was trying very hard not to be sick.

Vince happened to be standing beside the elevator when I got off and he took one look at me and called out, "Bobby! Bomber needs you on the double!"

I shook my head but it was too late. Guys were running from every direction. Woody grabbed a chair and helped me to sit down in it, Binkie had gotten me a glass of water, and Junior had a garbage can close by in case I needed it. Lester was beside me in seconds with a worried look on his face, and he was asking me questions in such rapid succession, I didn't have time to answer. Tank, Bobby, and Ranger arrived less than a minute later as they'd been down in the gym with the two newest members of Rangeman.

Bobby lost no time in taking hold of my wrist and taking my pulse. I rolled my eyes and tried to convince the guys I was fine, but Bobby just nodded his head and said, "Sure, Bomber. Just let me finish checking you over and then we'll discuss it."

I glared at them silently and let Bobby prod and poke me till he was satisfied I was really okay.

Meanwhile, Ranger had turned to Vince and said, "Report!"

Vince shook his head. "She came out of the elevator white as a sheet and looked like she was going to be sick."

I could see the worry in Ranger's eyes as he turned back to me. He waited for Bobby to finish his exam and then he knelt on one knee beside me. "What happened, Babe?"

I bit my lip and paused for a minute before admitting, "I'm fine, really. It was just the lemon scent in the elevator. It reminded me of what happened yesterday, and I had a vision of all that blood on the floor that I thought was yours."

Ranger looked confused, "Lemon scent?"

I nodded. "When I was on the elevator floor, I couldn't help but think it was cleaner than any of the floors in my apartment ever were. I wondered what they used to get it to smell so lemony."

Ranger's jaw clenched with banked emotion. "I'll have a word with the cleaning crew. I'll make sure they use a different cleaning solution."

I looked at him worriedly. "That's why you insisted on the stairs last night wasn't it?"

He gave a half shrug. "It might have played a part."

I reached out my good hand to him and smiled. "Maybe I could get used to taking the stairs."

Ranger gave me his full two hundred watt smile and chuckled. "You never disappoint, Babe."

I put my hands on his shoulders and stood, grinning even wider. "I guess I should give my mom a call and see if they can get started on that party."

Ranger winked at me. "Go get 'em, tiger."

I threw back my head and started laughing.

He stood and wrapped his arm around my waist. I snuggled closer as he led me to my cubicle. I was shocked when I saw his chair sitting at my desk. I looked up at him slightly confused and asked, "You gave me your chair?"

He leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips. "No, Babe. This one's all yours. Wouldn't want your ass to fall asleep on you." This time when he kissed me he held nothing back.

When he left me five minutes later, I was wearing a smile, looking forward to when Ranger and I were behind closed doors. I shook my head to clear it and then fished out my phone so I could call my mom. Punching in the numbers, I looked around absently as I waited for the call to connect.

My part of the fifth floor looked much like any office would. There was a partition on either side of the space designated for each desk, with the desk being flush against the partition on the right side and the chair fitting into the space between the desk and the partition on the left side. When you sat at the desk, you were sitting so the window was to your left and the next row of cubicles was to the right with a walk space between. According to the guys, the window work spaces weren't popular because they were too distracting when you were trying to get your paperwork done. As far as I was concerned, I loved my spot by the window.

This morning…yes!—It was still morning for another fifteen minutes. This morning there was a large bouquet of fresh cut flowers sitting on my desk. I reached over to the card with my good hand and smiled as I read, _Babe._

My smile widened as I sat there looking at Ranger's bold scrawl on the card. The sound of a throat being cleared had me looking up. I looked questioningly up into the face of a Merry Man that I had never met before. I tilted my head slightly to the side and waited patiently for him to tell me what he wanted.

He raised an eyebrow.

I wrinkled my nose at him and said, "You'll have to do more than raise an eyebrow. I don't do mind reading."

I swore I saw the flicker of a smile before his blank face slammed back down. "I'm Rodriguez. I have a file on a skip I'd like you to look at."

My mouth dropped open in shock, remembering what the guys told me when I worked here the last time, no one_ ever_ saw Rodriguez. There were rumors he was hideously deformed, or, my favorite one was that he was a vampire and only came out in the witching hours after midnight. I was brought back to the present by a rich, deep laughter and noticed the man standing before me had an amused smile on his face and he was indeed laughing outright. That led me to the only conclusion, I said that out loud. Damn thoughts voicing themselves.

More laughter told me I'd just compounded my error. I rolled my eyes and closed my mouth as I reached out my right hand for the file in his hand.

He handed over the file and winked at me. "I'm glad to see you're doing okay. Can't have the bad guys taking out my best skip tracer."

My mouth dropped open in shock once again at his words and then he turned and walked away, chuckling all the way.

Manny walked by at that moment and said, "Better be careful, Bomber. You might catch a few flies that way."

I closed my mouth with a snap and sent him a glare as I set the file down and returned my attention to the phone in my hand. I was still glaring at Manny's receding form when I registered my mother's, "Hello? Hello? Anyone there?"

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I said, "Yeah. It's me ma. I need you and grandma to plan a party at the VFW hall."

There was silence for a minute and then, "Stephanie Michelle Plum, you better not tell me that you and Ranger got married without inviting your family."

My eyes widened as I hastened to assure her, "No! No, the party's not for me ma. It's for someone else. I promise. I can't give you too many details over the phone. Just tell everyone it's a surprise party and invite everyone."

I could just see her eyes widening. "Everyone?"

"Yes. Everyone."

"And you swear it's not to announce that you and Ranger are married?"

I nodded—even though there was no way she could see me—and told her, "I promise."

"You're sure, everyone?"

I smiled, "Yes, ma. Everyone. Joe, the Grizollis, Rosollis, Giovincinis, Harry the Hammer, Mary Lou, Lula, the Morellis, the ladies from the Cut-N-Curl, everyone, ma."

"Okay. When's the party?"

I cringed. This was going to get interesting. "Saturday."

I pulled the phone away from my ear at the perfect time, because she screeched, "_What! That only gives me two days!_ How am I supposed to do all that in just two days?"

I crossed my fingers as I told her, "Use the 'Burg grapevine. It will definitely get everyone talking."

There was silence for a minute and then, "I gotta go now. If I've only got two days, I need to start dialing now. Once I get the hall… What if I can't get the hall?"

My eyes widened for a moment and then I said, "Ask them how much it would take to get it for Saturday. When they give you a price, tell them done. Ranger will take care of it."

"I'll do what I can. But two days…" There was a dial tone and I pulled the phone away from my ear and glared.

Great! Now my own mother wasn't even saying goodbye. I rolled my eyes and did a bit of grumbling as I pulled the file towards me and went to work. Two hours later I was staring at my computer screen with the same funny feeling I'd had while talking to Alexander and Connie's mom about what happened forty years ago. I printed out the information and headed for Ranger's office. This was one more thing we didn't need right now.


	16. A Meeting of Friends and Enemies

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 16: A Meeting of Friends and Enemies

**Connie's POV:**

I looked in the mirror one final time and debated adding another layer of mascara. Just as I pulled my mascara wand out, Rene stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed the juncture where my neck and shoulders met before telling me, "You look beautiful just as you are, mi amore." _(my love)_

I closed my eyes as heat pooled in my nether regions. Rene had been so gentle as he'd made love to me for the first time since we'd gotten together here in Trenton. He was a wonderful lover and I was a very lucky girl.

I turned in his arms and our lips met and clung. I knew we had to get up to the fifth floor to meet Stephanie and Ranger. Rene's parents had called and said they'd be here in about twenty minutes and Ranger was going to collect my dad, uncles, and grandfather. I was nervous at seeing my in-laws for the first time. I was scared to death at what would take place here today. This could either be the start of something wonderful, or it could be the worst day of our lives.

As if he knew what I was thinking, Rene kissed my neck before trailing kisses to my mouth and kissing me thoroughly before pulling back to say, "Don't worry. You're my wife and nothing will change that."

I laid my forehead against his shoulder and admitted, "I'm a little scared."

He placed a finger under my chin and lifted it until I was looking directly at him. "I'm here by your side."

I nodded.

He winked at me and stepped back, offering his arm. "It's time to go, mi amore."

I smiled and slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow, letting him lead me to the elevator.

Raul met up with us in the hallway and fell into step. Rene lifted an eyebrow and Raul just grinned and said, "I got your back, mio amico."

Rene nodded. We continued on to the elevator and went up one floor. I was a bit surprised when we'd been told the meeting would take place on the fifth floor since Steph and I had met with my mom on the main floor. I wondered if Ranger wanted the presence of his guys to be obvious to diminish the chances of the meeting getting out of hand. Raul led the way to the main conference room and opened the door so Rene and I could precede him into the room. Stephanie was already seated at the table and I frowned on seeing the gauze wrapped around her left upper arm.

As I moved toward a chair near where she was sitting I asked, "What happened, Steph?"

She grimaced, "Manchouser. When Ranger and I were leaving the conference room downstairs, he walked up to the lobby door and opened fire. Apparently he had armor piercing rounds in his weapon and I got hit. It's just a flesh wound."

A rough, gravelly voice behind me could be heard saying, "A flesh wound that nicked an artery. Are you all right, girlie?"

I could see Stephanie's smile as I turned to see Alexander Ramos entering the room. Rene helped me into a chair and took the one beside me. Raul sat on my other side. Rene nodded in understanding. Apparently Raul was telling him something, but what that was I had no clue.

As we waited, I absently listened to the conversation between Steph and Alexander while I looked around the room, taking in all the nuances of the decorating. The table was the largest conference table I'd ever seen. I imagined that there was enough space for every single person that worked for RangeMan to sit at the table. The wood was a gorgeous cherry oak and the seats were plenty roomie. The one I was sitting in was like two others in the room, the other chairs, although they looked a bit different, still looked comfortable.

Stephanie was seated in a chair just like mine and the other one was beside her. At a guess I'd say that one would be Ranger's. I was grateful I'd gotten this style as well. It was like being pampered, and my ass wouldn't be asleep in less than twenty minutes. The tone of this room was more masculine than the smaller room we'd used yesterday. It was done in earth tones and the artwork on the walls was gorgeous. It had a Native American theme that melded well with the color scheme. The carpet on the floor had me wanting to slip my shoes off and rub my feet around in its plush softness.

I noticed several of the seats had files on the table in front of them and I wondered what was going on. I glanced over at Stephanie in time to catch the last half of what she was saying about them. Mr. Ramos's eyes were sparkling as she spoke with him. I heard her saying, "I was doing a routine search earlier, when I came across something I thought might have a bearing on this situation. I had a couple of the guys pick up Lula and have her talk with this woman. She's agreed to come and tell everyone what she knows, which I think is the third piece of the puzzle."

At that moment, the door opened and Ranger entered with my parents, uncles, and grandfather. I could see their eyes narrowing when they saw me there, but seeing Mr. Ramos there as well, they went to the seats that Ranger had indicated to them and held off saying anything. They had no more than gotten seated when the door opened again. Tank entered the room with a young woman that looked vaguely familiar, as well as old man Giovincini. He directed them to their places and everyone was looking around at each other, sizing up the situation, when once again the door opened and in walked another group of people that I knew immediately were Rene's family.

Lester and Bobby were with them and led them to the section of the table where they would be sitting. I noticed the intense stare that one of the men in Rene's group was giving to the woman with Mr. Giovincini. Although she blushed, she didn't glance in his direction. The door opened once again and Ella entered, rolling a tray with refreshments into the room.

**Stephanie's POV:**

Once I'd given Ranger the information I'd found, he sent Tank over to pick up Lula to talk with the woman and see if she could shed any light onto things. As soon as Lula had introduced herself and explained why she was there, she'd called me and allowed me to talk with the woman. It took some doing, but I was finally able to convince her to help us.

Tank made a detour to the Trenton Police Department to drop off the cousin who was FTA and then they'd be bringing the woman and her grandfather back to RangeMan with them. With the information I'd learned talking to Mr. Giovincini's granddaughter, I'd been able to fit the other piece into the puzzle to know what had happened the night Concetta had been killed.

I headed to the conference room a few minutes early hoping to get the folders all set out. Rodriguez stopped in while I was working and asked if I'd found the file useful. That's when I turned narrowed eyes on him and asked him what he knew.

He chuckled and shook his head before telling me it was just a feeling he'd had when he'd read through the file. He'd wondered if the fact that one of Giovincini's granddaughters worked in Tomkins Cove, New York, had anything to do with Rene's family. He hadn't been able to find out anything because no one had wanted to talk to someone they considered an outsider. He knew if anyone could get the information, it'd be me.

His expression turned serious as he'd told me he was watching my back, and coming out of the basement—so to speak—was sending a message to the other guys, letting them know they better not fuck up on keeping me safe.

I was surprised and touched at that.

I was just sitting down and going over everything I'd learned in my search when Connie and Rene joined me in the conference room. She'd questioned me about my arm and I tried to down play it. Of course, Alexander walked in and wouldn't let me do that. After reassuring him, I went on to tell him we were going to have more company today. He shook his head and asked what I'd been able to dig up now.

I told him about the information I'd been able to find out, and how I thought it might be an important piece of the puzzle.

Ranger was the first to arrive with his group, followed by Tank, and finally Lester and Bobby followed with Rene's family.

My eyes widened as I got a good look at who I assumed was Rene's cousin. The guy was drop dead gorgeous and nearly as tall as Tank, with a build closer to Morelli's. His inky black hair brushed his shoulders, and his storm cloud gray eyes darkened as his gaze gravitated to Mr. Giovincini's granddaughter—I wondered.

To say the parties were less than pleased to be in the same room together was putting it mildly. Of the five women in the room, the one I knew as Gina Costa, seemed the most uncomfortable.

The men in Connie's family were glaring at the members of Rene's family and vice-versa.

Rene nodded. "Thank you all for joining us today."

Hands moved towards weapons and you could feel the tension in the room.

I looked over at Rene's mother and smiled, "Hi. I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Stephanie Plum. You must be Rene's mother, but I'm afraid I don't know your name."

She was small in stature, possibly reaching five foot standing on her tip toes. She was a lovely woman with a porcelain skin tone, and hair so black it shown blue with just a touch of silver white in it.

She returned my smile and there was a twinkle in her eyes as she responded to me. "It's nice to meet you, Stephanie Plum. I'm Allegra. You may call me that."

I grinned back at her, "Please, call me Stephanie or Steph. I'd like to introduce you to Gianna Rosolli." I indicated Connie's mother.

The two women nodded to each other.

I continued, "This is Gina Costa, Mr. Giovincini's granddaughter."

The good looking man I'd noticed earlier narrowed his eyes at that information, but he remained silent, watching.

Gina said hello to both of the other women.

I took a deep breath, then said, "And this is my good friend…" I paused, looking at Connie. At her nod I continued, "Connie Rosolli-Bianchi."

Absolute silence.


	17. Understanding

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 17: Understanding

**Stephanie's POV:**

Talk about shit hitting the fan. All the men in Connie's family were on their feet and Rene's dad was immediately standing too. They were going for their weapons when everyone froze. Without moving from beside Connie, Rene had them all stopping in their tracks as he said, "Enough!" in a deadly soft voice.

I watched them as they looked at him, and after a couple minutes, they all complied. Rene looked over at Connie and winked, taking hold of her hand, and then he turned to his parents. "We brought you here to try and clear up the past. Once we've done that, then we can talk about the future."

His father was listening, even if it seemed to be reluctantly. Allegra and the other men sitting there seemed more willing to hear what was going on. Rene turned to me and grinned, "It's your party, let her go."

I grinned back at him. I felt eyes on me and looked over to see his father and cousins looking me over. Giovanni's eyes narrowed on me as he asked, "What do you have to do with any of this?"

"Connie's my friend."

Giovanni held up a hand, "No disrespect, but that means nothing in my book."

It was obvious he wanted to say more, but Alexander spoke up. "Listen to her."

I saw the surprise on Giovanni's face, but he just nodded and waited for me to continue.

I looked at both sides, then sat forward in my chair, and folded my hands in front of me on the table. "I'll start with the night you and Concetta were supposed to meet at the church to get married." Turning to Allegra I gave her an apology, "I'm sorry if what you are about to hear causes you pain."

Allegra nodded. "Go ahead with your story."

I turned to Giovanni. "Gianna Rosolli brought her sister-in-law Concetta to your apartment the night you were supposed to meet at the church to get married."

He scowled, "What are you playing at? She never came to me."

I softened my tone as I continued, "Yes. She came. She saw something that hurt her so badly, she turned around and ran out of the building."

Giovanni looked as if he'd taken a hit to the heart. The confusion on his face was plain for all to see. Even Connie's father and grandfather seemed to realize the emotion was real. His voice was barely a whisper as he asked, "What could she have seen?"

I bit my lip and tried to find a way to soften the blows that were to come. "Gianna went up to get you. The door was unlocked and without thinking she opened the door and saw you with another woman. She said it was obvious you were doing the horizontal tango."

Even though this was a serious situation, the guys seemed amused at my word choice and there were smiles and head shakes from them. Giovanni was too focused on what was going on to find humor in how the explanation had come out.

He looked over to Gianna. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "Why did you come to get me?"

Tears poured down her face as she said, "When Concetta came out of the building, she ran into the street and was hit by a car. She was killed instantly. I ran to your apartment seeking help."

The look on Giovanni's face was beyond grief. Beside him, Allegra placed a hand on his arm to comfort him and he pulled away. She turned her head, but before she did, I saw the raw pain on her own face.

Connie's grandfather, Uberto, said, "This is why there will be no rest until there are no more Bianchis. You killed my little Concetta. Just as surely as if you were driving the car that ran her down."

Giovanni lifted his ravaged face. "I didn't know. Why did no one tell me? I thought she chose her family over our love. I blamed you for turning her against me and vowed to take you down." As if he had just become aware of what else had been insinuated, his face turned a shade of red and he bellowed, "I would_ never_ betray Concetta with another woman." Looking into Gianna's eyes he said, "It's impossible that you saw me with another woman."

I could see Gina's fidgeting in her seat at the way the conversation was going. I hoped she would follow through with what she'd promised. I turned to Giovanni and Uberto and said, "There's something neither of you knew." I turned to Gina. "Will you tell us now what you know?"

Gina turned and made eye contact with Rene's cousin. There was pain on her face, and her voice was barely above a whisper as she directed her words to him. "I didn't know. I never made the connection. I knew your family was responsible for the deaths of my uncles and cousins that were living in upstate New York, and for my family being torn apart. But I didn't know it was your uncle that my mother had done that to."

A muscle moved in his cheek. "So is that why you came to New York? Revenge?"

"Yes. I'd foolishly thought I could give my grandfather back some of the respect that he'd lost when the others in the family didn't listen to him. He tried to tell them not to side against the Bianchis because our families were friends. But the others saw only what was being offered to them. When I got hired at your restaurant, revenge was my motive. Then I met you and we started dating. I was devastated when you told me who you were. I could no longer go through with my plan for revenge. I'd fallen in love."

His eyes bore into hers and it was easy to see the feelings these two had for each other. He nodded towards the Rosollis as he asked her, "What do you know about this?"

Gina swallowed hard and turned to Gianna and said, "It was my mother that you saw with him that night. But he was unconscious. My mother went to Drago Bianchi and told him that Rinalto Rosolli raped her. When Giovanni told his father Concetta's last name, Drago was honor bound not to allow the union to occur. He asked my mother if she would help make sure Giovanni never married Concetta. He didn't know that was my mother's plan all along. She wanted Giovanni for herself. When he refused to have anything to do with her, she was furious and this was her way of paying him back. It didn't matter how many lives she ruined."

Giovanni asked, "Your mother was Serafina?"

Gina flinched. "She gave birth to me."

He studied her for several minutes. "She was aptly named. She was truly a serpent."

Mr. Giovincini asked, "Can we finally agree to let the past lie in the past and move on with the future?"

The Rosollis looked at the Bianchis, and the Bianchis looked back, as well as at the Giovincinis, and they all finally agreed there'd been enough pain and death. The Rosollis and Bianchis looked at Connie and Rene. Something unspoken now seemed to be resolved.

Rene stood and placed a hand on Connie's shoulder. "Now that we're all friends, let me announce that Connie and I are having a baby."

Once again, all hell broke loose, but this time in a festive way.

**Allegra's POV:**

Pain laced my heart as my husband pulled away from me. I always knew he held no love for me, and now I knew why. Now that he knew his love hadn't left him for her family, there was nothing here for me. I couldn't compete. I turned away as the tears slid down my cheeks and knew, finally, it was over. I would remain married to him…but I would find a way to have my own life from here on out. Surely the love I shared with my son would be enough to see me through the rest of my days.

When I heard Rene say that he was going to be a father, it was bittersweet. I had a grandchild I might never see. It could have been possible with the operation…but no. I no longer wanted to go through with it. I would let things happen naturally. Rene now had a family to love. And it was time for me to leave, to give Giovanni back his life.


	18. Party Time

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 18: Party Time

**Connie's POV:**

Once again I was standing in front of my mirror debating whether I needed another coat of mascara, or if the four I'd already put on would do the trick. I was totally nervous about tonight. Rene and I had spent the day with his parents yesterday in Princeton, where they were staying at the Peacock Inn. Talk about luxurious. At nearly four hundred a night it_ should_ come with all the bells and whistles. We'd had a great time, but I'd sensed a sadness in Rene's mom that made my hormones go into hyper-drive and I felt that I was on the brink of tears all day. The way she held onto Rene made me think she was dying or something. It made my heart break, and I didn't know why.

We'd made the trip back home last night, with a full contingent of bodyguards, thanks to Rene's cousin Dom. Once they'd been assured that we were safely in the building, they took up watch alongside of the guys that Alexander Ramos had watching Stephanie.

So much had come out in that meeting between the families. Once everything settled down, Giovanni had asked granddad why he told Concetta to break it off with him. That's when he'd told Rene's dad what Drago Bianchi had said, all those years ago, about Concetta not being in his family long, and his fear that Drago meant she'd be dead. He didn't understand what the old man had been saying about Renalto Rosolli damaging Serafina Giovincini, and put it down to his being crazy. But he wanted to protect his daughter.

So much pain.

I hadn't been able to get to sleep last night because my mind wouldn't shut down. Rene had been so sweet. He'd run a hot bubble bath for me and insisted I get in and relax. He'd knelt beside the tub and with his gentle, strong hands he'd caressed my entire body. Although relaxing, it sent my hormones into a different type of hyper-drive and I felt like I was in melt down mode.

Once I felt like putty in his hands, Rene helped me out of the tub and dried me off, not letting me lift a finger. He took me in his arms and carried me to the bed, gently laying me down before removing his own clothes and paying homage to my body and soul. He made such sweet love to me, tears poured down my cheeks at the emotions he'd unleashed.

He held me in his arms throughout the night and I felt more connected to him than to any other man I'd ever been with. It was like that first night all over again. Rene had made the comment that tonight we'd consummate our marriage so we'd both have a memory of our first time as man and wife. He lived up to that with the beauty in which he showed his love. I knew once and for all, that this was the real deal for me and I loved him more than I'd ever imagined it was possible to love another.

When we woke, he called Ella and asked if we could get a meal brought in, and he'd insisted I stay in bed and relax as he fed me each morsel and allowed me to feed him in return. Once we'd eaten and shared a luxurious nap, it was time to get up and get ready for the party at the VFW hall. I'd worried about not having anything to wear, but Rene had surprised me with a matching dress to the one I'd worn for our wedding. When I'd asked him how he'd managed it, he just winked and told me it was his little secret.

So, here I stood in a dress that was the twin to the one I'd worn on my wedding day. It was slightly fuller around the waist to allow for the baby, and the shoes were the same style only the heel was only two inches high. Rene told me he still had the five inch heels I'd actually worn, and he would get them if I wanted, but he thought the lower heel might be better for me due to the pregnancy.

I was thrilled with the outfit and had to admit I did feel more comfortable with the lower heels. Especially since we were going to be doing a lot of dancing and my feet were already at the point where they became swollen after I'd been on them even a short time.

I was brought back to myself as a hand landed on my shoulder, just like the last time. I smiled and reached up to cover his hand with mine. "Thank you so much, Rene. I love it."

His eyes darkened with desire. "You look beautiful, Tesorina." _(my treasure)_

I let all the love I was feeling inside me for this wonderful man show as I looked into his eyes and replied, "I love you, Cuore." _(my heart)_

If it was possible, his eyes darkened even more. He turned me and took me in his arms. Holding me as if we were dancing and he'd dipped me in his strong arms, supporting me with his strength. His mouth covered mine and I was on fire for him as he kissed me thoroughly. When he finally returned me to a standing position, I would have fallen if not for his support. My body felt like liquid heat in his hands.

He leaned his forehead against mine and whispered, "I'd love to stay here and finish what I started, and if it wasn't for the fact we just got our families to play nice, nothing would induce me into stopping, and me from keeping you here forever. Remember where we left off, Amore. I intend to pick up again at this point just as soon as I have you all to myself later."

I lifted my hand to the side of his face and stretched to place my mouth against his. With my lips a whisper away from his I told him, "I'm going to hold you to that."

I kissed his warm lips and in seconds he'd taken control of the kiss and I felt my toes curling in my shoes.

We were late leaving the apartment to go and meet Steph and Ranger in the garage, but we did make it. I smiled as I saw Ranger carrying Stephanie out through the stairwell door as we were leaving the elevator. Looks like we weren't the only ones running a bit late. And if Stephanie's swollen lips were any indication, they were doing the same thing we had been up to.

**Stephanie's POV:**

The whole time Ranger was carrying me down the seven flights of stairs I couldn't help but think that Connie was going to kill me for being late. When we went through the door to the garage and I saw Connie and Rene getting off the elevator, and her slightly disheveled appearance, it let me know they'd been doing the same thing we had. Ranger carried me over to the Cayenne, even though I was perfectly capable of walking. He didn't even break stride.

We reached the SUV, and he set me on my feet long enough to open the front passenger door, then he lifted me inside. By the time he'd climbed into the driver's seat, Connie and Rene were in their seats in the back. Ranger waited for the rest of the guys to get in their vehicles, and then we were ready for the drive across town to the VFW hall.

Hector, Manny, Junior, and Brett were already there making sure the building was secured. Everyone was expected to wait for the all clear before they would be allowed into the building. I thought my mom would have a fit, but when she stopped by here to get the cake Ella had made, her only reaction when I told her was to roll her eyes and say, "At least we won't have to worry about any explosions during the party."

I'd had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Binkie and Woody had gone with mom and grandma to the hall, once they received the all clear, they got started on decorating. Of course when she was here, mom took a good hard look at my left hand, then at my waistline. She'd let out the breath she was holding and asked if I could tell her yet who the party was for. Although I was tempted to give in, I knew she and grandma were as big a gossip as anyone else in the Burg so I just shook my head slightly and kept quiet.

I glanced in the back seat to see Connie and Rene had their hands clasped in the middle of the back seat, even though they were each seat-belted in, each on their own side. There was a look to my friend that made me very happy for her.

Just then, the Cayenne started moving slowly forward and I felt myself tense up. Tibet was still out there and although I knew Ranger and the guys had taken every precaution, if recent events were any indication, anything could happen. I just hoped it didn't affect anyone else at the party. The whole town of Trenton was going to be there tonight, and I wanted this night to be special for Connie.

Just like when we went to Deal, once we parked—wouldn't you know it, Ranger got the space right beside the door—we waited for the knock on the door telling us it was safe to get out. Ranger came around and helped me out of the vehicle as Rene assisted Connie. We made our way inside and everything was exactly as I'd hoped it could be. My mother and my grandmother had really outdone themselves in the short time frame that I had given them.

The space was divided into a smaller area with a raised platform for a band, and then the rest of the room was set up with the tables so they were creating a border around the room. There was walk space every so often to create ease of movement through the room. The tables were covered with antique white tablecloths, and I ventured a guess that the plastic china had been brought out of the halls storage closets to add a degree of fancy for the occasion.

There was a table set up with appetizers, and I moaned when the smell of Pino's hit me. Rene looked at me a little funny, but politely refrained from saying anything. There were no meatball subs in sight, yet the aroma wafted from the table where the cutest little sandwiches rested. The bread on them was the size of fifty-cent pieces, and between the two layers of homemade bread was a baby meatball with marinara and cheese.

On the other side of the table were little triangles that looked like slices of pizza. The other hors d'oeuvres looked just as yummy. Little sausages wrapped in bacon, as well as bacon wrapped shrimp, and BBQ chicken wings. I marveled at the miracle that had been pulled off tonight. Pino's had truly worked their magic, for us, to make this all happen at such short notice.

The table was set up so people could move around it freely. The beautiful five layer cake that Ella had made was in the middle of the table and it was truly magnificent. The white frosting was decorated with perfectly executed red roses done in delicately tinted frosting. They wove around the cake and my mouth started watering even more.

I was getting ready to chance becoming the center of attention and trying out one of the baby meatball sandwiches when Ranger laid his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him and he nodded to the door. I turned to stand beside him to see that Rene's family was entering the hall along with Connie's family.

Connie's family greeted grandma and mom, and I smiled as I noticed the way the guys all held both of grandma's hands in theirs as they were talking to her, then passing on both hands to the next person in line.

My eyes widened as I saw the next person to take her hands was going to be Giovanni and I quickly turned to Rene. "Quick. You need to go warn your family to keep both of her hands in theirs."

Rene gave me a puzzled look. "I assure you, my family will treat your grandmother with the respect due her."

I could see the same look of dawning horror in Connie's eyes. She shook her head and went to say something, but it was too late.

Giovanni took grandma's hands in his and when he got done talking to her he released her hands and moved over to my mother. Allegra spoke to her for several minutes and then it was Dom's turn. I put my hands over my eyes because I didn't want to look, but then I spread my fingers because I couldn't not look.

Dom held out a hand to grandma and the grin on her face as she looked him up and down had me groaning mentally. Sure enough, her free hand snaked out and… Oh shit!

Without looking back to see if anyone else was coming, I ran over and rescued Dom. I stepped between him and grandma, and Dom showed how intelligent he was as he got out of the line of fire before grandma could make another grab.

Fortunately, after that things went pretty smoothly. Once all the guests were there, I stood up and made a toast to the couple as we informed all of Trenton that Connie Rosolli had married Rene Bianchi over four months ago.

It took a few minutes for everything to settle down and then Connie and Rene stood, and amid gasps and enthusiastic applauses, made the announcement that they were expecting their first child.

Shortly after that it was time for hors d'oeuvres, then the entrée was served. There was a trio of dishes brought out for each guest. A three inch square of lasagna; one giant cheese ravioli, and one giant beef ravioli; and then a saucer sized portion of spaghetti with chicken parmesan on top as well as two slices of eggplant parmesan. In the center of each table there were baskets filled with bread to go with the entrees as well.

At our table I sat by Connie, Ranger was to my right and Rene was next to Connie on her left. Connie's parents and grandfather were on the other side of the table, as were Rene's parents and his cousin, Dom. Raul sat beside Rene and Tank sat beside Ranger.

I moaned with every bite as I ate my food. I had just taken my last bite of chicken and closed my eyes as the flavors burst in my mouth and I moaned one last time. I felt eyes on me and looked up to see the guys all looking my way with glazed over expressions. My eyes widened and I looked over to Ranger. The dark heat in his gaze told me all I needed to know. My cheeks heated.

Ranger leaned in to say, "You never disappoint, Babe."

Suddenly, I placed a hand on my stomach and started scanning the area. Something was off but I couldn't put my finger right on it. I reached over to where Ranger's hand was resting on his thigh and squeezed his hand with mine. He looked at me and he was instantly on alert.

A woman I'd never seen before was approaching our table. She had a hard sneer on her face as she stopped at the end nearest to Rene. Her eyes turned diamond hard as she said, "So… I see you've been playing me all along. You've been married for four months. Does your bride know that you've been dating me all this time?"

Rene stood as if to stop her. Giovanni spoke up and tried to do damage control but the woman refused to listen.

Rene's eyes narrowed. "We went out a few times. I told you the first time that nothing could come of it, Serena."

She gave a nasty smile. "That's not what I told papa. He thinks you want to marry me. What do you think he will do when I tell him you're already married and were just using me?"

Rene shook his head. "Your father's not a stupid man."

Hatred entered her eyes and she reminded me of all those crazies that came after me. She'd snapped and was no longer in her right mind. As if to prove that, she pulled out a Glock. She raised it and pointed it at Rene. I could see out of the corner of my eye that the guys were already moving to act. The rest happened as if it was in slow motion. Rene stepped back, and I saw her finger tighten on the trigger. As she squeezed the trigger Allegra threw herself between Rene and the woman with the gun. The gun fired and a bullet slammed into Allegra's body causing her to collapse on the table. Rene's eyes were wide with pain as he looked down at his mother.

Serena moved to, once again, take aim at Rene. A gun beside me went off, Pop, Pop, Pop, and Serena was down on the ground.

Connie lowered the cannon in her shaking hands. Raul was bending over Serena, making sure she was dead. He opened her jacket and froze, swearing in numerous languages at the same time. There, strapped to Serena's chest was a homemade bomb. It was pandemonium.


	19. A Life Hangs In the Balance

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 19: A Life Hangs In the Balance

**Stephanie's POV:**

Amid the chaos, Hector and Manny were beside Serena in seconds. Raul helped them to carefully move her on the floor. He and Manny kept her immobilized as Hector disabled the bomb. Although she was dead, it wasn't unheard of for a body to make movement after death. If that happened while the guys were defusing the bomb… Well, let's just say no one would make it out of the building with as much C4 as she was packing. The moment the bomb was removed, the coroner—who also happened to be Connie's godfather—came over and examined her, declaring her legally dead.

An ambulance had been called and Bobby was working on Rene's mother. Although she was losing some blood, he seemed surprised at the amount of blood that he could see. He was shaking his head and mumbling to himself about what could be stemming the flow.

The look in his eyes when he'd seen she'd been hit in the chest made me think he didn't expect her to make it. She had fallen on the table when she'd been shot, and he'd carefully moved her to the floor so he'd have easier access. When he turned her so he could see her back, I had to wonder if he was looking for an exit wound.

At one point, I thought I heard him mutter, "Where the fuck is the blood going? Hell, she should be practically bleeding out with a heart shot like this."

I bit my lip as I worried about her bleeding internally. Wondering if this meant it was already too late.

When the EMTs got there, Bobby filled them in on what happened. Then he rushed to the ambulance with Allegra. Giovanni looked on like a little lost boy. He climbed into the ambulance and sat next to her, grasping her hand in both of his. I had a feeling he hadn't realized his own feelings until now, and now it could be too late. Red lights were swirling, bouncing off the trees surrounding the building, the siren blared as the ambulance raced toward the hospital. As I stood there watching, Ram came in and spoke softly to Ranger.

Ranger looked the same way he did when he told Morelli to take Val and me home after I'd managed to get away from Abruzzi. I laid a hand on his arm and he placed his lips over mine, it was an urgent kiss, he pulled back and said, "I need to handle this, Babe."

I took a deep breath. "Don't get shot, Batman."

He gave me a tiny half smile. "Don't go crazy."

Ranger left me there beside Connie and walked across the hall to the door. I turned to Connie and saw that she was watching Rene, who was walking beside Ranger. She turned to me and asked, "Any idea what's going on?"

I shook my head. "No. But I have a bad feeling."

She nodded. "Me too."

I frowned as I wondered how Serena had gotten in here. There was no way she was going to get past the RangeMen stationed at the door. When those guys were in regular mode, they were a force to be reckoned with, put them in protective mode, the President himself wouldn't get past them without submitting to a thorough search.

I looked around the large room and a thought occurred to me. I turned back to Connie, "She came from the direction of the bathroom, didn't she?"

Connie nodded. "What are you thinking, Steph."

"I need to take a look in the bathroom."

"If it's all the same, I'd rather you didn't." Connie said with a frown. "I know how things work. You'll end up walking into Tibet and getting kidnapped."

I rolled my eyes at her and wanted to argue, unfortunately, she was probably right. But I was determined to find answers. I squeezed her hands and said, "When Ranger comes back, tell him where I went."

Her face paled and I knew she wanted to argue, but I didn't give her a chance. I headed toward the left side of the room where there was a softly lit hallway that led to the restrooms, as well as a smaller conference room where the Vets met each month, and an office. I walked slowly, trying not to make a sound.

As I crept along, I remembered tales from when I was a little girl, sitting on my dad's lap as he and his cronies told of stories related to the passageway below the VFW hall. Jimmy Dee, who'd been in my dad's unit in the Army, said it was believed the passageway dated back to the days of prohibition. They would have a good party going with booze and when the lookout said, "Coppers!" everyone would scramble into the tunnel until the cops had left and then they'd come back up.

What if Tibet had stumbled onto that tunnel…or, more likely, what if he'd stumbled on an old timer who was happy to have a willing ear?

I debated whether I should keep going or return to the main room. When I'd left, I could see the tears in Connie's eyes. She was looking around frantically. I'd had time to see her take off in Rene's direction and knew her emotions had just come into the mix. Whether from her party being ruined, her mother-in-law being shot, the fact that she'd killed someone, that her husband was off looking into how a woman with a bomb got in and nearly took us all out, or more to the point—hormones from being nearly four and a half months pregnant, I didn't know. My money was on all of it combined.

I took a deep breath and pushed the bathroom door open and the distinctive sound of the cocking of a gun had me cursing at myself for not giving more credence to what Connie had been saying. Shit! I so didn't need this.

**Ranger's POV:**

Rene and I had gone to talk with the guy at the doors. We'd just determined Serena didn't make it through our security, so now it was a matter of checking out the entire building. At a muffled sob, Rene spun around and was moving at lightning speed to take Connie into his arms and ask her what was wrong. I didn't need to ask. My hands clenched at my sides and I gritted my teeth in anger as an intense feeling that Stephanie was in trouble took over.

Connie was sobbing and trying to get her words out at the same time. I didn't have time to waste. I took hold of her and turned her to face me. "Stephanie?"

"Ba..ba…bath…rooo…"

I gently let go of Connie and turned to my men, "Seal the exits. Get Ram, Woody, and Cal in position to take this bastard out. If they have a kill shot that won't hurt Stephanie, have them take it."

Tank, Lester and I were on our way to the women's room. We stopped just outside the door and Lester slipped forward to listen. We were about to go in when Alexander Ramos came up behind us.

His voice was tight and raspy as he said, "My men have them surrounded. Tibet took her through the tunnel and has a gun to her head. He has the Slayers and a bunch of others with him. Apparently those little bastards didn't heed our warning. They're in the circle on Comstock."

We hauled ass out of there, I was barking orders as I went. I was vaguely aware that Morelli, Carl, Big Dog, and Eddie Gazarra, were on their way behind us. When we pulled up at the circle, I had memories of the last time we were here. The big difference was the fact there were no dead bodies on the ground and Stephanie wasn't safe. She was in the middle of the circle with a madman holding a gun to her head.

I let my gaze go over the group gathered there. I recognized the few remaining Slayers that had made it out of our last run-in with them, and I knew by their looks when they saw me, they remembered what I'd told them I'd do if I ever saw them around Stephanie again. Most of them were looking to see if they could make a quick getaway.

A couple months ago, Stephanie had fingered one of the Slayers as the Red Devil. The gang had brought Junkman into town. To prove himself to the group, he'd had a list of people he had to kill. Stephanie's name was at the end of the list. She was the token Bounty Hunter that Junkman was charged with taking out.

When Stephanie had gone to move her grandmother's Buick, the Slayers had forced her into the trunk of the car and brought her to this very spot. When we'd arrived, Sally Sweet had already driven his school bus into the circle scattering Slayers, then he'd taken his Uzi and opened fire, killing a whole hell of a lot more Slayers. One of them was Junkman himself.

As I focused on the scene before me, I recognized Tibet as the one holding Steph. She looked like she'd given as good as she got, his clothes were disheveled and I noticed he was keeping his privates as far away from her as he could.

There were others around them that I didn't recognize.

Rene's cousin Dom had joined our group so Rene could go with Connie to the hospital to see how his mother was doing. Although Rene was reluctant to agree, Dom had convinced him to let him handle the family business and told him to concentrate on his mother and wife.

Dom growled on seeing the group in the circle before us. His voice was like cut glass when he spoke. "You've made a big mistake Scillato. You got in bed with the devil without weighing the cost to you."

Scillato's gaze went to Dom and his eyes widened. "What are you doing here with them?"

Dom's eyes narrowed. "I came to kill the man behind my aunt getting shot."

Tommaso shrugged, "You can't think it was one of us. After all, once your cousin marries my daughter, Serena, our families will be joined." He turned to Alexander and sneered, "As for you old man, it's time for a new bull of the woods. You're time has come to an end."

Dom gave him a smile devoid of emotion. "Your daughter is dead. She was shot right after she pulled the trigger, shooting my aunt."

Scillato glared, "You're lying!"

Dom's eyes narrowed with icy anger, "You know I don't lie."

Tommaso moved his gun in Dom's direction, keeping him covered.

We neared the circle, Tibet cocked the trigger back. My gaze was on Stephanie. My eyes never left her as I tried to convey what I wanted her to do. I watched as her eyes dropped and then raised back to meet mine. I smiled and let the monster loose.

Steph let herself go limp and Tibet had to move the gun from her head in order to keep hold of her. She'd reached the safe zone and I gave the signal. A shot rang out and Tibet was spun around and dropped, although I knew beyond a doubt that he was still alive. Stephanie was free and we had our weapons out and the rest of the group covered.

It was like an anticlimax. Once Tibet went down, the fight went out of them. It didn't matter. As I walked over to where Stephanie was, I noticed that Morelli was right beside me. I helped her up and wrapped her tightly in my arms. I closed my arms as I held her for a moment, and then I knew I needed to send her to the hospital.

Her arm was bleeding where the flesh wound was and she had some scrapes and bruises. Tibet was going to pay for every one of them. My gaze held hers and we both knew Bobby could patch her up, but I needed her out of here so we could put our plan of action into place. She wasn't pleased, but she would do this for me.

When I released her, I turned to see Morelli kneeling beside Tibet. He looked up at me, we exchanged a look, and then his eyes went to Stephanie. A muscle clenched in his jaw as he looked over to where Eddie, Carl, and Big Dog were standing. "He's dead. No need to call an ambulance."

He turned to me and his gaze slid to Stephanie once more before coming back to meet mine. "I'll call the coroner." He turned back to Gazarra and asked him, "Can you guys give Stephanie a ride to the hospital?"

Eddie stepped forward. "Sure, Joe. But wouldn't you rather one of us stay for the coroner?"

He turned to Stephanie and there was a gentleness in his gaze as he replied, "Nah. I got this." He winked at Stephanie and softly said, "Don't worry, Steph. I'll make sure the guys get there before too much longer. I just need them to answer a few questions before the coroner gets here."

I could see it in Stephanie's eyes that she knew what he was doing. There was sadness in her eyes as she said, "You're a good man, Joe."

He grinned, throwing her another wink. We waited till Steph left with Gazarra and the other two. Morelli stood and I saw the surprise on a few faces as he headed for his car.

Tibet groaned and started coming around. One of the Slayers called out after Morelli and asked, "Where are you going? You're a cop. You can't just leave us here with them. We don't have any weapons."

Joe turned and stared them down. As he did so, he said, "Manoso."

I raised an eyebrow and wondered what he was planning, "I'm listening."

"Just like Abruzzi."

As I saw the fear in the eyes of the Slayers, I let the beast smile, "Understood."

He turned, lifted a hand and called out, "I'll be back in about thirty minutes. Make sure the mess is cleaned up. The coroner will notice."

I didn't answer because he'd already gotten into his car and was leaving the scene. I turned back to the men before us. I knew my men understood about making sure everything stayed clean. I turned to Alexander's men, "Make sure nothing gets off the tarp."

We moved in and started the party. When it was over, Tibet lay on the ground with a single bullet wound to the head and every bone in his body was broken. He was a bloody mess. The rest of the dead were inside the tarp and Alexander's men were going with Hector and Cal to make sure they were disposed of.

Morelli pulled up exactly thirty minutes later. He looked around and nodded. "Eddie called to tell me there was no reason to hold anyone. Stephanie said it was only Tibet involved with kidnapping her. With him dead, I guess this is a slam dunk."

I nodded. "Stay at your car when the coroner gets here."

Our gazes locked and after a couple seconds he nodded. "I called him half an hour ago. He's on his way. Seems he's at the wedding reception for his goddaughter."

I raised an eyebrow, "Anyone we know?"

Morelli grinned. "Connie Rosolli… Or rather Connie Bianchi. He should be here any minute."

I nodded. "Understood."

I gave the signal and we loaded up into the vehicles and headed out. I put my foot to the floor on the gas pedal and we made it to St. Francis less than five minutes later.

**Giovanni's POV:**

My heart was weeping as I sat beside my Allegra. We'd been friends for such a long time. She was my best friend from the time we were children.

When I'd been unable to talk to my Concetta and find out why she failed to arrive for our wedding, I'd even gone so far as to contact her brother, Renalto. He told me that she'd left town. She wasn't interested in anything to do with me. She'd agreed to marry the man her father had chosen for her. I was heartsick.

I'd refused to take Renalto's word for it though and demanded to talk to Concetta. He'd given me a number and I'd called. It was late at night, but I gave it no thought. My only concern was to talk to Concetta. When the phone was answered, I heard my Concetta's strained voice telling me she had married the man her father had chosen for her and she wanted me to stop trying to contact her.

I was devastated. When I heard her saying, "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I should have told somebody…" The pain ripped through me and I disconnected the call. It wasn't until earlier tonight that I learned it had been Gianna that I'd talked with that night. She'd apologized to me for her part and told me she regretted it all.

Now to find out the only reason Uberto had told her to break it off with me is because my father, Drago had threatened Concetta's very life, saying she would be dead if she married into our family.

Allegra had seen my pain and had tried to comfort me. She was such a beautiful soul.

When my father had come to me and told me he wanted to tie our family to the Colombo family by marrying me to Allegra, I'd gone to her and told her it all. About Concetta and my love for her, and that all I could offer her was a marriage of friendship. I couldn't love her. She'd told me that would be enough. If I gave her a child, that would be enough. I'd agreed to her request and told my father I would accept the match.

Thirty-nine years I'd been married to her. And never once did I even think about straying. She was restful to my soul. I enjoyed spending time with her as I always had. When Rene came, I'm sorry to say I grew jealous of my own son and the time Allegra spent with him, the love that he showed to her.

When the doctor had told me that the bullet had gone into the tumor near her heart, and that's what had saved her for the moment, I felt relief. That is, until he told me if he didn't operate she would be dead within the hour. Then he added she had a seventy-five percent chance of dying on the operating table. She might never wake up, and the last thing she would have known was putting herself in front of Rene to protect him from a bullet.

I'd gone to the chapel and knelt down, sobbing like a baby at the thought of losing my little Allegra. I'd been angry that I hadn't known before about this tumor. The surgeon here had contacted her doctor in New York, and he said he'd told Allegra she needed an operation two weeks ago. But then the anger turned inward when I remember her coming to speak with me two weeks ago and I hadn't made time.

My eyes closed in pain as I lay my head down beside her on the bed. She was so small and so still. I prayed to God that she would please wake up, even as I raged at her for not telling me about the tumor that was threatening her very life. A tumor I blamed myself for. Sobs racked my body as I sat there with my head on the bed beside her. God, please don't take my Allegra. I've only just come to realize how very much I love her.

**A/N: **The next chapter is the last chapter.


	20. A New Life Was Created In Vegas Epilog

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are several original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. _

_**Spoilers: Anything from the books 1-12 might be used for the most part, but I won't rule out anything from all 19 of the books. **_**Please note that the time-line for the books has been altered to fit the story, and people and incidents might have been added.**

_I would like to give a special thanks to Jenn from BCRU. She has been doing quotes from book 9, and the quote in the first chapter here is what gave me the idea for this story. Hope you enjoy. Thank you also to Dreemseeker for all your input as Beta. Thank you to the ladies at BCRU for answering my questions as well._

Chapter 20: A New Life Was Created In Vegas. Epilog

**Rene's POV:**

I heard the tiny sound that let me know my daughter was waking up and needed to be attended to. I entered the nursery, hoping to catch her before her cries alerted her mother as well. I knew Connie was in the middle of getting ready for our guests that should be arriving any moment, since the birthday party was set to start at three and it was now two-thirty. The nursery was done in pale tones with the predominant color being green, with blue, pink, and yellow interspersed throughout. One wall was done in Winnie the Pooh characters, and another wall was done in zoo animals. The wall connecting the two together in this corner of the house was a wall of glass.

This was the selling point for the house. When we were considering houses, we'd looked at several that were passable. None of the houses had a room we felt we could transform into a nursery though. I'd created seven restaurant bars over the course of the last decade and so I sat down and mapped out the nursery we both wanted. Armed with the drawing, we'd called a relator that Ranger knew and the man said he had a house that would be perfect. The house wasn't selling because of the corner room. We agreed to look at the house and it was a done deal.

I called my team to come in and make the renovations we needed done and within three months we were moving in. The first time Connie had seen the nursery, she'd cried. We'd picked out furniture for the baby as well as an oversized rocking chair. Connie was able to sit in the chair and look out the window at the beautiful scenery outside as she nursed our baby. It was the perfect room. We moved in less than a month before the baby had been born.

It had been a relief to spread out a bit after being crammed into Connie's little two bedroom house. Although it'd been a tight squeeze, we'd made it work. Being pregnant, Connie had wanted to stay close to her own mother and I wanted to give her everything she wanted.

The house itself was set on three acres of land in a semi wooded area just outside Short Hills. The house had the benefit of being halfway between my childhood home and Trenton, so it was an easy drive for everyone. There were five bedrooms, including the master bedroom and the nursery. The bedrooms were all located on the main floor on one side of the house, and on the other side there was the great room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and play room. There was a finished basement with a game room, bar, exercise room, and half bath. The top floor was set up as my office. There were two desks up there so that when Connie was working, she had her own space in which to work. I'd asked Ranger to set up security for us, and I must say I'd been so impressed with the job he'd done, I asked him to set up security for each of the businesses I owned as well.

I stopped at the crib and looked down at my precious daughter. She was stretching her tiny arms and legs and making what I could only describe as soft mewing sounds. I smiled as I reached in and lifted her into my arms. My heart melted again as I stood looking down at my beautiful little girl. She was just two weeks old and I'd never been happier than I was the minute she was placed in my hands for the first time.

I walked with her over to the rocking chair and sat down to rock her. As I held her in one arm, I used the forefinger of my other hand to gently caress her tiny face and hands. My heart was truly full. As I set the rocking chair in motion I whispered, "You're Nonna would have loved to see you born, Lucy. It wasn't to be, though."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and tilted my head up to see Connie standing there. She leaned down and laid her lips against my forehead. "She was impatient to get here."

I nodded. Although everything had turned out fine, two weeks ago when Connie had gone into labor a month early, I was in a panic. I'd rushed her to the hospital and less than two minutes later, Luciana Rosetta Bianchi was born. Such a tiny little thing, she'd weighed in at barely five pounds and was eighteen inches long. She had a head of black hair and her tiny little features were perfect. The moment she'd been placed in my arms, my heart felt like someone had latched on and squeezed. Lucy put me in mind of my own mamma.

The moment was broken by the rowdy entrance of our two little boys. Dante Leonardo—who was celebrating his fifth birthday this afternoon when our guests arrived—and four year old Nico Raul, came running into the room. I raised an eyebrow and both boys skidded to a stop.

Dante put his hands behind his back and looked down at the floor and Nico followed suit. Dante was the one that mumbled, "Sorry, papa."

I let the smile slip through. "What are you two in such a hurry for?"

Their eyes lit up, and this time it was Nico who announced, "Nonna is here! Nonno is with her. Dom and Gina too."

This time it was Connie who raised an eyebrow, "Who answered the door?"

The boys looked at each other and then back down at the floor. Nico elbowed Dante and then Dante elbowed him back. It was all I could do not to laugh outright at their antics. Finally, Dante glared at Nico, and Nico folded his arms across his chest, glaring right back.

Dante rolled his eyes and turned to his mother. "Well, see, it was like this... We could see Nonna through the door and the rule is that we aren't allowed to open the doors to strangers. We both know Nonna, so we opened the door."

Connie frowned and crossed her own arms across her chest. She pursed her lips and pretended to debate over what she'd been told. After several seconds she grinned and said, "All right then. I guess you're good to go."

The boys' eyes got big and they both grinned before tearing out of the room as quickly as they'd come in.

Connie looked down at me and asked, "Do you want me to take her and get her ready for her big debut?"

I looked down at my beautiful little girl and reluctantly handed her over to my lovely wife. I stood and kissed Connie's cheek before telling her, "I'll go entertain my parents and cousins. I'm sure the others will be arriving shortly as well."

Connie looked down at our little girl and grinned, "I'll be out in a couple minutes."

I kissed her lips before trailing a finger once more over Lucy's little face and then bending to kiss her tiny cheek. I headed for the great room where I knew my parents would be waiting. I stopped before entering the room and looked at the people seated there.

My mind went back in time five and a half years and I saw once again my mother's frail body as she lay in that hospital bed fighting for her very life.

For three weeks, while my mother slowly won the battle to recover from the tumor and gunshot, my father never once left her side. He held her hand and begged her to come back to him. The sight of him kneeling beside the bed, sobbing, as he prayed for God to let him have her back brought a lump to my throat every time I thought about it. My father was a strong man, but the thought of losing my mother had brought him to his knees.

When my mother finally started coming around, and he'd been able to ask her why she hadn't told him about the tumor, she'd said she tried but she could see that there were other things playing on his mind. He'd begged her forgiveness and tried to tell her how much he loved her. My mother smiled sadly and said she would always be his friend.

When it was time for her to go home, my mother requested to speak to me alone. She'd asked me if she could stay with me and Connie until she found a place of her own. She'd claimed it was time to let my father have his own life.

I was lost for words but told her she would have a home with me whenever and for however long she wanted.

When my father learned of her plans he asked why. She told him she couldn't compete with the dead. Now that he knew his Concetta had never jilted him, she knew he would want to honor her. My father tried to convince my mother that he loved her, but she'd just smiled and said she knew he did. He loved her as a friend. After all, that's what they'd agreed to. That was all she ever expected from him, no matter how much it had hurt her to know she would never have his love. She went so far as to admit to him that she'd always loved him. When her father suggested arranging a marriage between her and my father, she'd jumped at the chance. She said she thought she had enough love for both of them.

She'd told him that when he pulled away from her, it had been the breaking point for her. She'd lived for thirty-nine years with only the love from her son to get her through, and so when she learned Rene was now married and would be having a family of his own, she decided to let the end come naturally.

I was an unwilling witness to the confrontation between them. My hands were clenched and I wanted to scream at my father for the way he'd treated my mother over the years. That wasn't the way to treat a friend.

When my father fell to his knees and broke down in front of my mother, telling her he hadn't realized how much he really loved her until he'd almost lost her, she was reluctant to believe him. I could see that he was a changed man though.

When mother refused to believe his confession, he'd told her to move in with me if that's what she needed. But he planned to win her back. Over the course of the next several months, he'd courted her. They went on dates and day trips. He'd turned the business completely over to Dom and he'd made winning back my mother's love his prime goal in life. Three weeks after Dante was born, he'd asked her to renew their wedding vows. My mother was finally convinced he truly did love her and agreed.

The ceremony had taken place here in our home, with all of our family and friends looking on. They were like newlyweds. Watching the two of them together was like looking at two halves of a whole. It was the way I felt about my own wife.

I caught a movement out of the corner of my eyes and smiled as Dante cried out, "Ranger!" and he ran to open the door.

Stephanie stepped through the door with Ranger right behind her. Both my boys ran to him and he wrapped an arm around each of their waists and lifted them up over his shoulder. They squealed with delight and then he set them back down and rubbed the top of their heads.

Stephanie was laughing and when the boys were once again on the ground, she winked at Dante and asked, "So, where do you think I should put this birthday present?"

Dante's eyes widened with an excited gleam. He looked up at his godmother with adoration before pointing to the area we'd set up for the gifts. Then he grabbed her hand and led her to the table, telling her all about his latest adventures.

I shook my head as I once again felt a hand on my shoulder and looked around to see Connie had come to stand behind me with my little Lucy in her arms. I took my daughter from her and settled her in the crook of one arm while I wrapped the other arm around Connie's waist. She laid her head against my shoulder and smiled.

**Dom's POV:**

I let my gaze fall on Rene as Connie joined him. I watched him take his tiny daughter in his arms and the look on his face was one that I knew well. It was how I felt every time I looked at my own beautiful wife, Gina. Although she'd led me on quite a dance for over a year, I'd finally convinced her to marry me. My eyes lowered to Gina's belly where our twins now rested. She wasn't showing yet, but it was only a matter of time.

I was furious when I learned Serena had been stalking her, looking for an opportunity to kill her, just because that bitch wanted to get back at me. I was grateful she'd never had the opening to make an attempt.

My gaze went to Ranger as I remembered our ride to the circle on Comstock to retrieve Stephanie. I'd lived around dangerous men all my life, but in that moment, Ranger was more dangerous than anyone I'd ever come in contact with. I knew those who were standing with Tibet wouldn't live through the day.

When we pulled up to the circle, I was surprised by the extreme poverty of the area. There were several burned out apartment buildings and a huge crane with a big cement block being held in the air. It looked like the crew working at cleaning up the area had just shut everything down at quitting time with no regards to the children that might play in this area and get hurt.

We climbed out of the Cayenne and Ranger motioned with his hand. How the hell he knew Stephanie would act as she did, taking Tibet off balance, I had no idea. Before I knew what was going on, Tibet was down on the ground and the cop, Morelli said he was dead. When Stephanie had left with the other three cops to go to the hospital, I was surprised to see Morelli head to his car, and Tibet's groans let me know he wasn't so dead after all.

It didn't take me long to figure out, for whatever reason, the cop was letting us handle this in any way we wanted. The guys spread a tarp out and we went to work on the group. Ranger and I were able to get the story out of Tibet, and I was thrilled he didn't make it easy for us. Once he was laying there in a bloody mess, Ranger had called out for one of his men and a single shot was fired.

I'd noticed at one point Hector was up on the cement block being held in the air. He was working at the hook that was holding the block up. When he climbed down, another guy had gotten in the seat and moved the block so it was swinging over Tibet's body. I glanced at Ranger and the icy look in his eyes told me all I needed to know. I was thankful in that moment that I was on his side.

I watched as Stephanie returned to his side from taking Dante's present to the table designated to the gifts. It was obvious these two loved one another. I was brought back to the conversation going on to hear Stephanie relating something about a recent stalker.

**Stephanie's POV:**

I walked with Dante to the table where the gifts were being placed. After setting down the package that I knew would bring shouts of delight, I hugged my godson and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Happy birthday, Dante."

His eyes gleamed when he looked up at me and I felt the strings on my heart being pulled once again. As I walked back to the chair where Ranger had settled, I let my thoughts go over the past five years. There'd been a lot of changes in all of our lives.

To say Vinnie hadn't been happy when Connie told him she wasn't returning to the bonds office was an understatement. He'd been ranting and raving at the top of his lungs and hadn't noticed Rene walking into the office. I'd been sitting with Lula on the sofa and we'd both lost it at the look on Vinnie's face when he'd turned to Connie and Rene was standing there with a glare that I'd thought for sure was going to give Vinnie a heart attack. Vinnie had done a fish impersonation and made a beeline for his office. When Rene had grabbed hold of the back of his neck and wheeled him around, Vinnie's eyes had nearly bugged out of his head.

Rene's tone was deadly as he said, "I warned you about giving Connie a hard time."

"So whose giving her a hard time. She doesn't want to work here no more, fine. She's fired."

Rene lifted an eyebrow.

Vinnie gulped. He smiled weakly, "I mean, I accept her resignation."

Rene had wrapped his arm around Connie and turned to leave. When he opened the door, Ranger and Tank were standing there with their blank faces on. I had the impression their shoulders were shaking slightly though. They nodded to Rene and I caught a slight smile on Rene's face as he led Connie out of the office.

Lula and I had made it a point to have lunch with Connie once a week. When I'd gotten ready to leave to pick up Lula that first time, I was surprised when Ranger insisted on driving us. After the third week, I'd confronted Ranger and asked him what was going on. When he'd told me about Connie showing Rene all the old newspaper articles about me, I rolled my eyes.

About two weeks before the baby was due, Lula and I pulled into the RangeMan garage to meet Ranger for our routine trip. I parked in my usual space beside the elevator at the same moment that the stairwell door was opening. I was a little surprised to see Tank following close behind Ranger. Lula and I climbed out of the Cayenne, and I looked from Ranger, to Tank, and then back to Ranger.

He gave me a slight shrug, "Rene asked for more security. With Connie being so close to her due date, he doesn't want to take any chances."

I sent them my best 'Burg girl glare and decided I was going to have a word with Rene that very day. We were meeting at a new restaurant in Newark. It had the benefit of being close to where Rene and Connie would be living once their house was done being remodeled.

We made it to the restaurant in plenty of time, but Rene and Connie were already at the table. I glared at him as we neared the table and was getting ready to give him a piece of my mind when there was an explosion in the parking lot.

Before any of us could move, Ranger's phone rang. He connected the call and spoke into the phone. "Yo." He paused for several seconds while his gaze zeroed in on me. His jaw tensed as he said, "Keep me informed." With that he ended the call. He turned his focus in our direction and said, "That was Cal. It seems that a non-descript black Cadillac pulled up and the passenger lobbed a Molotov cocktail at the unmarked police car next to the Cayenne. The cop car, the Cayenne, and the surrounding cars are on fire."

I looked around me and noticed everyone trying to stifle their merriment. I put my hands on my hips and glared at them all. "This isn't my fault!"

At that moment there was a flash. I turned to find the photographer from the Trenton Times was standing there. He had a big grin on his face. "Imagine my luck to be eating at the same restaurant as the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. Do you have a quote for us regarding this latest fire?"

My hands clenched and I took a step closer to him before Ranger wrapped an arm around my waist. I vaguely heard Tank telling the man if he valued his life to run. By the time Ranger had set me on my feet again, the little creep was gone. Of course, that didn't help me in convincing Rene that Connie was safe around me.

I stopped beside Ranger and leaned my head against his shoulder. I heard Lula telling Gina about my latest stalker, and how I'd been poisoned because I ate Ranger's food at a party.

Gina was dually horrified and turned to ask me, "And this guy's still after you?"

I smiled and replied, "Not anymore. He sort of blew himself up with his own grenade. Everything's been settled. The bride and groom eloped to Las Vegas, and I was saved from wearing the most hideous bridesmaids dress. _It was a floor-length Pepto-Bismol pink taffeta dress with big puffy cap sleeves, a huge bow at the waist in the back, and a bell skirt._"

Lula piped up with, "I told Stephanie, _Now that I'm seeing the dress I'm thinking you want to come down with some bad contagious disease. Something that gives you a _rash and makes your brain melt. It was hideous. No two ways around it."

I rolled my eyes and replied, "And she didn't even see it after the alterations were done. _What had originally been a dress from the Little House on the Prairie collection was now straightout of the Little Whorehouse on the Prairie collection. It was so tight and cut so low in the bodice that _it left nothing to the imagination."

Lula snorted, "That dress was the stuff nightmares are made of."

I lifted my hand to my recently shortened hair and said, "I'd take that nightmare over the other kind any day."

Gina gasped, "What happened to your neck, Stephanie?"

I grimaced, "My latest stalker. He lit my hair on fire before he blew himself up."

There were murmurs as everyone asked if I was okay.

I grinned and told them, "I'm great. Lester's wife Kari works for a plastic surgeon and he's assured me that I won't even have a scar. As for the hair, it'll grow back."

**Connie's POV:**

As I watched Rene leave the nursery behind the boys, I looked down at my perfect little girl and grinned. "You have your daddy wrapped around that tiny little finger of yours don't you, little one. Now let's get you fed and all dressed up so you can meet your Nonna and Nonno in style."

I sat down in the rocking chair and nursed Lucy before cleaning us both up a bit. I placed Lucy's tiny little body on the pad situated on top of the dresser and changed her diaper before dressing her in the most adorable short-sleeved pink dress.

With its little puffed sleeves trimmed with bows, the dress was a frothy confection of silk and organza fabrics adorned with ribbons and lace and an abundance of tiny roses dancing along the scalloped hem. The silk bonnet framed her tiny face with sweet pink ruffles. She was a dream from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, with her tiny little feet wrapped in perfect pink satin booties.

I headed to the great room, where I knew my family was gathering. As I entered the room, I noticed Rene was standing, watching his mother and father. I had a feeling he was remembering what happened after his mother had been shot.

I was amazed with what we'd learned about the incident. Stephanie had joined me while Allegra was still in surgery. She'd been too quiet and I had a feeling something bad was going down. It was nearly an hour later when Ranger and Dom walked in. Although no one mentioned anything, they were both dressed differently than they had been when they left the party and went after Stephanie. The guys joined us and Stephanie nestled against Ranger as Dom sat with his forearms resting on his knees.

It turned out that Serena had been working with Tibet all along. Apparently, she'd been in love with Tibet for years and they'd been planning their wedding when Rene and Dom took out the Giovincinis. When Tibet lost in his run against Alexander Ramos, and the Scillato family was forced to pull their support, Serena had been enraged. She swore vengeance and started plotting on how to pay back the Bianchis.

She started with making a play at Dom, but after her disgraceful performance and yelling at the wait staff, he left her in the middle of their first date. Then when she found out Dom had feelings for the new waitress his family had hired, she thought she would pay him back by taking out the girl. Of course, when her father came to her with his plans to unite his family to the Bianchis by marrying her to Rene, she couldn't believe her luck and lost no time in telling Tibet all about it. They planned to destroy the whole family.

Tibet had told the guys everything before he died. He'd convinced Serena to wear the bomb into the VFW hall by telling her it was the only way to get everyone to do as they wanted. He assured her he'd get her out of it before they blew it up along with Ramos, Stephanie Plum, and the whole Bianchi family. Tibet had also gotten the Scillato family to throw back in with him. There was the promise of a big pay off and he knew Serena's father was a greedy bastard. Of course, he didn't tell Serena that he'd been using her all along. What Serena had taken as love, was just Tibet acting out of his own greed. He wanted what Alexander had and would stop at nothing to acquire it.

It took Dom and Ranger working together on beating Tibet to a bloody mess to get the entire story. Once they had all the information they needed, both men had stepped back and Ranger had simply said one word.

Ram!

That was all it took for the RangeMan sniper to take the shot that put the bullet into the same spot that he'd put the tranquilizer dart. When Morelli showed up, he was the only one that saw the condition of the body. Once the coroner arrived, Morelli had waved him over. When my godfather walked over to Morelli's car, a huge cement block suddenly fell from the crane holding it up and landed on Tibet, crushing what was left of his body beyond recognition.

The last five and a half years had flown by. First with Dante's birth and then thirteen months later Nico was born. I was thrilled with being a mother but enjoyed working part time as secretary for Rene's new restaurant bar that he'd built in Trenton. I didn't miss the bonds business at all. Plus, Lula and Steph stopped by for lunch once a week. That had started after our reception party.

I smiled as I remembered Rene's introduction to Lula. When Stephanie and Lula had asked to throw me a shower, Rene had agreed as long as Ranger provided security and he was allowed at the party with me. Dante was four weeks old when they'd had the shower, and from the time of our reception party till when the girls asked about the shower, Stephanie had gone through four cars, and had another stalker. When we acted as if this was no big deal, he'd finally asked me why we treated it as if this was common place. I pulled up all the old newspaper articles and when he'd finished reading, he asked me to promise him that I would include him in anything where I would be going with Stephanie or Lula, but especially Stephanie.

As I listened to her tell everyone about her latest stalker, I knew the next time I got together with the girls, Rene would insist on additional bodyguards.

I looked around at my family as I placed my hand on my husband's shoulder and I smiled. As if he read my mind, his hand came up and covered mine as he turned around and took Lucy from me, settling her in the crook of his arm. He wrapped his other arm around my waist and I laid my head against his shoulder. I was happier than I'd ever been. Who would have thought that a once in a lifetime trip to Vegas could have turned out so wonderfully?

**And they lived happily ever after**

**THE END**

**A/N: Words in italics about the dress in Stephanie's POV are from Notorious Nineteen.**


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